Unlike other major tournaments, the hosts are a bit late to the party in the 2024 Copa America. The USMNT opens its Copa America campaign on Sunday, June 23, facing Bolivia at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The US, alongside Uruguay, are the favorites to advance to the knockout rounds from Group C. Holding the 11th position in FIFA World rankings, the Americans see an opportunity to start strongly as they face the 84th-ranked Bolivia on Sunday. Bolivia, which won its only Copa America crown in 1963, will be aiming to put its recent defeats behind in this tournament.

Both the US and Bolivia had a rather forgetful run-up to the 2024 Copa. Gregg Berhalter’s side took a 5-1 beating from Colombia in the pre-tournament friendly. However, the Americans restricted the all-time favorites, Brazil, to a 1-1 draw. Bolivia, on the other hand, faced three consecutive friendly defeats before the Copa. La Verde lost to Mexico, Ecuador, and Colombia. Now that the stage is set for a competitive clash, let’s explore how the US and Bolivia are lining up to kick-start the 2024 Copa.

USMNT vs Bolivia: Injury news

USMNT Injuries

Gregg Berhalter’s team has reported no injuries for their current squad. However, they will be missing star defender Sergiño Dest’s services after an ACL injury from March forced him out of action for nine months.

Bolivia Injuries

Similar to the US, Antonio Carlos Zaga’s Bolivian side is also heading into the Copa tournament without any injured players.

USMNT and Bolivia: Expected lineups

USMNT: Expected Lineup

[4-3-3]: Matthew Turner; Joe Scally, Chris Richards, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Antonee Robinson; Tyler Adams, Yunus Musah, Weston McKennie; Timothy Weah, Folarin Balogun, Christian Pulisic.

Bolivia: Expected Lineup 

[4-1-4-1]: Carlos Lampe; Diego Medina, Luis Haquin, Adrian Jusino, Jo. Sagredo; Fernando Saucedo; Miguel Terceros, Gabriel Villamil, Henry Vaca, Roberto Fernandez; Rodrigo Ramallo

USMNT vs Bolivia: Head-to-head and prediction

The US and Bolivia have locked horns eight times, having faced each other for the first time in 1993. These eight meetings have found a perfect balance. The US has won twice, so did La Verde, and four games ended in a draw.

The hosts start the tournament off a recent win in the CONCACAF Nations League. Besides, the US’s tough-fought draw against Brazil will also come in handy for their Copa campaign. Meanwhile, Bolivia’s consecutive recent defeats hinder their advantage against Berhalter’s men on Sunday. Hence, we predict the USMNT to beat Bolivia 2-0.

Where to watch the USMNT’s Copa Opener?

The USMNT-Bolivia tie kicks off at 6 PM ET. Fans can watch the live TV broadcast on FOX with English commentary. Univision and TUDN broadcast the game with Spanish commentary. Additionally, fans can also live stream the game on Fox Sports platforms.

After the tie against Bolivia, the US plays Panama on June 27 in their second group game. The hosts round off their group games by facing the heavyweights Uruguay on July 01. What are your predictions for the US’ first group game? Let us know in the comments below.