While the United States may not have kicked off Copa America with a bang, they did collect three points in a 2-0 victory over Bolivia and find themselves tied for the group lead alongside Uruguay as matchday one in Group C. Gregg Berhalter's side did what they needed to with Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun finding the back of the net but there is room for improvement as they prepare to face Panama.
Los Canaleros may have fallen 3-1 to Uruguay, but they did push later in the match before running out of steam with Michael Murillo showing why the USMNT will need to keep tabs on him when the two sides meet. Now that we've had some time to digest the victory over Bolivia, what did we learn?
The attacking band is rounding into form
While some of the USMNT's attacking success is down to Bolivia being poor, it's also important to note that Bolivia were also poor because of the immense pressure that they were put under by Tim Weah, Pulisic, and Balogun. Each player registered a goal contribution took three or more shots and put at least one shot on target. If they're able to do that more games than not, this is a team that could surprise people in the tournament. While I still believe that Weah should shoot a bit less and cross a bit more, there's no denying that he gets into great positions and is one of the most unpredictable attackers that the USMNT has available at the moment.
The trio are getting a chance to go on an extended run together and will only learn more about where each wants the ball while also having Gio Reyna behind them to continue supplying the attack. There were times when Balogun was too indecisive to get a shot off when he had a chance, but that's something else that time will fix. Pulisic already has ice cold blood in front of goal when he has a chance and if Balogun can develop something similar, this USMNT attack will unlock a different gear that can actually keep up with teams like Uruguay.
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What to do in midfield?
For as good as the attack was, the midfield after Reyna was forgettable. It's important that Tyler Adams played a half and while rust showed, it's important minutes to get minutes under his belt ahead of harder games against Panama and Uruguay, but the balance wasn't there as his partner, Weston McKennie, was also sub par. There were moments like McKennie's slaloming run on a Balogun goal that was called back due to being offside that were good, but when it came to playing a complete match, it was lower than the expectations for the Juventus man. It's a bit unexpected, as, of the midfielders, McKennie was coming into this tournament with the best club form under his belt, with seven assists in Serie A play but he only created one chance against Bolivia.
More will be needed from McKennie moving forward or Berhalter may need to dip into his newfound depth to create a balanced midfield. In Johnny Cardoso and Yunus Musah, Berhalter has midfielders knocking on the door for multiple spots, but can only play three of them. In years past, McKennie's inclusion in one of those spots would've felt automatic, but fewer places are automatic at this stage. Uruguay showed that careful attention needs to be paid to Adalberto Carrasquilla, and to do that, whatever midfielder is alongside Reyna will need to be in top form.
Antonee Robinson shows his worth
The left side of the United States setup couldn't be in better hands right now. Between Antonee Robinson and Pulisic, not only are the USMNT able to contain wide players on that side, but they can also overload defenses as the duo created nine chances between them. Robinson was unlucky not to have an assist of his own as his growth is showing coming off an excellent season with Fulham. Prior to the season, there were rumors of Manchester City being interested in him, and as time goes on, you can begin to see why that may be the case.
With plenty of uncertainty to deal with, knowing that these two are ready to go in every match has to be reassuring to Berhalter. Pulisic and Robinson will be leaned on in the next few matches, especially as Uruguay can allow attacks from wide areas and they'll have a large hand in how long this Copa America run will continue for.
