ARLINGTON, Texas — Christian Pulisic smiled as his arms spread wide, and then he looked toward the stands to find the coach who drew up the goal, the fastest score the United States men’s national soccer team has ever produced against a South American opponent.
There was plenty of emotion against an overmatched opponent in a tournament the Americans call their biggest test ahead of cohosting the 2026 World Cup.
Pulisic scored in the third minute and assisted on Folarin Balogun’s goal in the 44th as the U.S. cruised past Bolivia 2-0 in the Copa America opener for both teams Sunday night.
“I feel like I’m always pretty excited after I score,” Pulisic said. “This is a big moment. It’s a major tournament.”
The 25-year-old Pulisic joined Clint Dempsey as the only U.S. players with a goal and an assist in a Copa America match. He also reached 30 goals in 69 international appearances, the fewest needed by a U.S. men’s team member to hit that scoring milestone.
“We came out flying with a lot of intensity. Obviously, that early goal helped us a lot,” Pulisic said. “All around, a pretty dominant performance. I think we could have put it away and had more goals there.”
Among six invited guests to South America’s championship tournament, the U.S. is expected to advance from Group C to the quarterfinals along with Uruguay, which beat Panama 3-1 later Sunday in Miami Gardens, Florida.
“It’s a start that’s massive for us. Build the confidence,” American defender Antonee Robinson said. “If we were being picky, we could have been a lot more clinical. We could have put another two, three goals away.”
Bolivia lost its 13th straight Copa America match dating to 2015 and has one win in its past 31.
“I’m not happy because I think we can deliver more. We had a match against an opponent that had a better physical performance,” Bolivia coach Antônio Carlos Zago said through a translator. “Minute three there was a goal, and it was downstream from there.”
The U.S., No. 11 in the FIFA world rankings, plays No. 43 Panama on Thursday in Atlanta and closes the group against No. 14 Uruguay on July 1 in Kansas City, Missouri. No. 84 Bolivia meets Uruguay on Thursday in East Rutherford, New Jersey, then plays Panama on July 1 in Orlando, Florida.
A crowd of 47,873 attended Sunday’s Bolivia-U.S. match under the retractable roof at 80,000-seat AT&T Stadium, which will host a World Cup semifinal in 2026. At kickoff, it was 97 degrees Fahrenheit outside the air-conditioned home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.
AP photo by Tony Gutierrez / US goalkeeper Matt Turner had a shutout in the team’s Copa America opener against Bolivia on Sunday night in Arlington, Texas. The Americans won 2-0.Playing a day before turning 30, goalkeeper Matt Turner had three saves in his 25th international shutout. The U.S. improved to 6-0 at AT&T Stadium as the Americans opened their fifth Copa America appearance, with this their first since reaching the semifinals as host in 2016.
The U.S. had 18 touches inside the attacking penalty area in the first half to Bolivia’s none.
“I’m happy with the performance,” U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter said. “A lot of guys got their first Copa America game, first Copa America win, first Copa America shutout. And we’re in a good position.”
Pulisic put the U.S. ahead just 2:23 into the action, the fastest American goal in 34 competitive matches against South American opponents. He played a short corner kick to Tim Weah and ran toward the penalty area. Weah returned the ball to Pulisic, who took a touch and from just inside the area curled a right-footed shot off the outstretched fingertips of Guillermo Viscarra and into the far upper corner of the goal.
As he approached the bench, Pulisic wanted to slow down the celebration and have someone help him find Gianni Vio, hired as U.S. set piece coach after the Americans’ restarts were largely ineffective during the previous World Cup cycle. Mission accomplished, Pulisic pointed with both arms into the stands.
“He set up our set piece play,” Pulisic said. “He told me before, if I get in that situation, basically shoot to the back post. So I just wanted to give him some credit.”
Balogun doubled the lead when he received a pass from Pulisic, took several touches and threaded a low, left-footed shot along the ground, past defender Jesús Sagredo and inside Viscarra’s far post for his fourth goal in 13 appearances.
Balogun put the ball in the net again in the 53rd minute off a pass from Weah, who was whistled for offside when he received the ball from Weston McKennie in the buildup, a decision confirmed in a video review.
U.S. midfielder Tyler Adams, returning after a back injury, played the first half in his first start since March 30.
Adams and Balogun were inserted into the starting lineup in place of Yunus Musah and Ricardo Pepi in the two changes from the lineup for the 1-1 exhibition draw against Brazil on June 12. Musah replaced Adams at the start of the second half, while Pepi entered in the 65th.
Viscarra pushed Pepi’s 79th-minute shot over the crossbar, then stopped Pepi in the 90th on a point-blank initial attempt and another off the rebound.