NEW YORK — In a soccer region that provides few tests, the U.S. men’s national team views the Copa America as its last significant challenge ahead of the 2026 World Cup that will be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.
“A World Cup on home soil is the biggest thing that, you know, we’ll probably do in our career,” star attacker Christian Pulisic said. “It’s a special time for this sport in America.”
Eighteen players from the 2022 World Cup roster were in training camp ahead of the tournament. The U.S. opens against Bolivia next Sunday in Arlington, Texas, plays Panama four days after that in Atlanta, then closes the group stage versus Uruguay on July 1 in Kansas City, Missouri. The Americans could meet Brazil in the quarterfinals.
U.S. players and staff view this as another step toward June 12, 2026, and the team’s World Cup opener in Inglewood, California. The U.S. is part of the CONCACAF region that covers North America, Central America and the Carribean, and the region’s Gold Cup tournament is next year.
“Copa America is essential to the growth of this group, and I believe this is a very important tournament for us as a team. This is the last major tournament before the World Cup. We’ll have Gold Cup, but the caliber of teams does not match Copa America,” coach Gregg Berhalter said. “It is a building block in which to to go into the World Cup confident.”
Berhalter was let go after his contract expired at the end of 2022, following the most recent World Cup, in the messy fallout of a feud with the Reyna family; he was then brought back and returned behind the bench last September. His core is the same as during the 2022 World Cup, where the U.S. lost to the Netherlands 3-1 in the round of 16.
Pulisic, 25, comes into the tournament after his best professional season in Italy. He scored 12 Serie A goals in his first season with AC Milan plus one in the Champions League and two in the Europa League. As for his national team play, his equalizer gave the Americans a 1-1 draw against Brazil last Tuesday night in their last Copa America warmup, his 29th international goal in 68 appearances.
“He’s had some unfortunate injuries along his path, and he’s been at some places where maybe he hasn’t gotten the best look and wasn’t really the number one option, but I think everyone in this country knows how talented he is,” said American forward Haji Wright, Pulisic’s teammate now and at the 2015 U17 World Cup.
“He’s really finding his goal-scoring form. He’s able to affect the game by actually scoring and contributing in front of the goal. And that’s something he always used to do when we were children.”
Tyler Adams, the U.S. captain at the World Cup and another member of that 2015 team, is regaining fitness after a frustrating 15 months. A 25-year-old defensive midfielder, Adams played just one club match from March 2023 until this past March 13 because of a torn right hamstring that needed surgery. After returning to play two matches for the English Premier League’s Bournemouth in March, the midfielder was limited by back spasms to one game over the rest of the season, an 11-minute appearance on May 11. He entered the recent exhibition against Brazil in the 76th minute.
Right back Sergiño Dest will miss the tournament because of a torn ACL, opening the spot for 21-year-old Joe Scally. Chris Richards appears to have gained a starting spot in central defense alongside Tim Ream on a back line that has Antonee Robinson on the left.
U.S. goalkeeper Matt Turner is a cause for concern. He lost the starting job with the EPL’s Nottingham Forest this season after poor play, and he was at fault for some of the goals in the Americans’ 5-1 loss to Colombia as well as Brazil’s score.
“He’s getting his rhythm. He’s going to be fine come tournament time,” Berhalter said. “You can see that he didn’t have a regular slate of games, and it’s going to take him a little bit to get into it.”
This will be the fifth Copa America appearance for the U.S., which was eliminated in the group stage in 1993 and 2007, and finished fourth in 1995 and 2016. The Americans are part of the tournament as invited guests.
“What you’re seeing on the pitch is now we’re clicking even more than ever,” midfielder Brenden Aaronson said, “and I think it’s just going to continue to get better and better.”
Players were set to return to the Dallas area to resume practice on Sunday, two days after the roster was cut to its 26-player limit for the Copa America. Here’s a list of those who made the cut.
Goalkeepers: Ethan Horvath, Sean Johnson, Matt Turner; defenders: Cameron Carter-Vickers, Kristoffer Lund, Mark McKenzie, Shaq Moore, Tim Ream, Chris Richards Antonee Robinson, Miles Robinson, Joe Scally; midfielders: Tyler Adams, Johnny Cardoso, Luca de la Torre, Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah, Gio Reyna, Malik Tillman; forwards: Brenden Aaronson, Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Christian Pulisic, Josh Sargent, Tim Weah, Haji Wright.