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USA vs Bolivia Preview
The USA kicks off their Copa America schedule on June 23 at 4:00 pm when they face Bolivia at AT&T Stadium. The USMNT enters the competition representing the host nation and looks to put its best foot forward on home soil.
Bolivia has made its way out of the group stages just once this century and will be desperate to put an end to that record by starting strong in Arlington, Texas. However, the USA is the favourite to top Group C and fans expect a winning start for The Stars and Stripes.
USA vs Bolivia Head-To-Head and Key Stats
These two sides have met six times and share an even record with two wins a piece and four draws. However, the USMNT has held bragging rights this century. They have met twice since 2016 with the USA winning on both occasions.
The last meeting came in May 2018. A youthful USMNT picked apart La Verde in a 3-0 victory. Coach Dave Sarachan named five teenagers in his starting 11. Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, Weston McKennie, and debuts from Josh Sargent and Antonee Robinson were early signs of a golden generation for The Stars and Stripes.
Walker Zimmerman opened the scoring with a bullet header from a corner in the 37th minute. Josh Sargent pounced on a goalkeeping error to score one-on-one and double the USA’s lead on his debut in the 52nd minute. Seven minutes later, Fellow debutant Antonee Robinson linked up with his teenage compatriot Tim Weah to put the game beyond doubt and secure the victory.
Bolivia had a torrid time in the lead-up to Copa America 2024. La Verde finished second from bottom in the qualifier standings for the 2022 World Cup, making it seven straight competitions without qualification. They have now won three of their last 15 games, with a lone draw, scoring just seven goals. Antônio Carlos Zago’s side most recently played Colombia in their second of two warmup games for the Copa America.
La Verde never looked a threat in that fixture. Jhon Arias put Colombia ahead after just five minutes before Jhon Córdoba doubled their lead. Liverpool winger Luis Diaz made it three first-half goals for Los Cafeteros in the 41st minute. A red card for Cesar Menacho in the 68th minute put a stamp on a poor day for Bolivia, who managed just 35% possession.
The USA confirmed qualification for Copa America when they beat Trinidad & Tobago 4-2 over two legs in the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal. Coach Greg Berhalter led them to a 2-0 victory over Mexico in the final to lift the Nations League trophy.
The Copa America hosts fell to a humiliating 5-1 defeat at the hands of Colombia in the first of their two warmup games on June 8. They have been inconsistent in form, though they finished their build to the Copa America strongly. They beat Mexico and Jamaica in their previous fixtures in the Nations League, and most recently faced Brazil at Camping World Stadium on June 12.
Despite being under significant pressure for most of the game, they remained strong at the back to hold the five-time World Cup winners to a 1-1 draw. Real Madrid forward, Rodrygo, opened the scoring in the 17th minute, firing into the bottom corner on the right side of the box.
Berhalter’s men responded well. Talisman Pulisic buried a free-kick on the edge of the area. His low-driven shot sped past the wall and Alisson into the bottom left corner, levelling the game. Brazil had the best chances, but Matt Turner put in a performance of the highest quality to keep them out and send them to Copa America 2024 in good stead.
USA vs Bolivia Prediction
Correct score prediction: USA 3-0 Bolivia
The USA has the perfect opportunity to make a statement in victory on Sunday. The hosts enter the tournament boasting their strongest squad in decades, though they are not considered contenders. Betting on the winner of Copa America reveals the US is valued at 12/1.
Although they are heavy favourites in this fixture, they can declare themselves a threat with a professional showing. Our Copa America prediction is for The Stars and Stripes to do just that with a 3-0 victory.
The USMNT has never had so much talent playing in top European leagues. Looking at their squad, they have; six players from the English Premier League, four from Serie A, two from La Liga, two from the Eredivisie, one from the Bundesliga, and one from Ligue 1. They represent giants of European football like Milan, Juventus and Monaco. In comparison, 20 of Bolivia’s 26-man squad plays at a significantly lower club level in Bolivia. They cannot cope with the USA’s class.
Copa on the brain 🧠 pic.twitter.com/XiKgHCX6sZ
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) June 20, 2024
Greg Berhalter has developed his style of play over two stints at the head of the USMNT. His aggressive, front-foot style of play works to the strengths of his forward-thinking players. The speed and directness of Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah will overwhelm Bolivia’s defence. Yunus Musah and Weston McKennie are excellent in the transition and will marshal the midfield.
El Paso-born striker Ricardo Pepi has been a revelation for the USA since forcing his way into the starting 11 in 2023. The 21-year-old has netted seven times in his last 13 appearances for his nation. He had an excellent club campaign at PSV Eindhoven in 2023/24 with nine goals and assists. What is most extraordinary is that he started just one game in 27 league appearances. The 21-year-old can play a starring role in this game, whether starting or coming off the bench with the playmaking of Weah, Pulisic, and Musah behind him.
One of Bolivia’s standout players is Miguel Terceros. The 20-year-old midfielder became the first ever Bolivian player to play for Brazilian side Santos. He will look to dictate any play from the middle of the pitch and bring an energy that the Bolivians are otherwise lacking.
This Bolivia side is severely lacking in class and cannot find a reliable goalscorer. Rodrigo Ramallo is the top scorer in their squad. The 33-year-old forward has only managed seven goals in 40 appearances as a striker. La Verde poses little threat when coming forward. The USA cannot get complacent, but with a professional performance, they should breeze past Bolivia to get their Copa America campaign off to a storming start.
USA vs Bolivia Betting Picks
The USA should win this game easily. A bet on the USMNT is worth 1/7, meaning the returns on a moneyline bet are not worth wagering on. If you want to back a USA victory, we prefer a wager on them to win to nil worth 8/11. Bolivia has not scored against the USA in their previous two meetings and managed just one goal in their last four games.
Bolivia is the lowest-ranked nation in Copa America 2024 at 84th. The USA is ranked 11th by FIFA. Berhalter’s team has scored over 2.5 goals in seven of their last eight games on home soil against teams ranked outside the top 50. The over/under is set at 2.5 with our online sportsbook and we are backing the over at 8/13. You can also bet on the USA to win with over 2.5 goals in the game at 4/5.
Greg Berhalter has a wealth of attacking talent at his disposal. Ricardo Pepi, Haji Wright, Folarin Balogun, and Josh Sargent are all competing for a starting position at striker. Waiting for the live betting odds on goalscorer markets would be beneficial.
Two men whose places in the starting XI are secure are Weah and Pulsic. Their quick feet and pace on the wing are enough to terrorize Bolivia’s defence. They will draw fouls while Bolivia tries to stop them from coming forward. La Verde’s temperament is poor. They have racked up nine cards in their previous four fixtures. We like a bet on Bolivia to receive over 2.5 yellow cards.
USA Copa America Squad and Predicted Lineup
- 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
- Predicted Lineup: Turner, Scally, Richards, Ream, Robinson, Reyna, Musah, McKennie, Weah, Pepi, Pulisic.
Bolivia Copa America Squad and Predicted Lineup
- Goalkeepers: Guillermo Viscarra, Carlos Lampe, Gustavo Almada
- Defenders: Diego Medina, Pablo Vaca, Hector Cuellar, Marcelo Suarez, Yomar Rocha, Jesus Sagredo, José Sagredo, Jairo Quinteros, Adrian Jusino, Luis Haquin, Efrain Morales, Roberto Carlos Fernandez
- Midfielders: Lucas Chavez, Leonel Justiniano, Fernando Saucedo, Ramiro Vaca, Robson Matheus, Adalid Terrazas, Rodrigo Ramallo, Boris Cespedes, Jaume Cuellar, Gabriel Villamil, Miguel Terceros
- Forwards: César Menacho, Carmelo Algaranaz, Bruno Miranda
- Predicted Lineup: Viscarra, Jesus Sagredo, Haquin, Jose Sagredo, Cuellar, Fernandez, Justiniano, Saucedo, Matheus, Menacho, Algaranaz.
