Sat | Nov 16, 2024

Copa the last big challenge for US ahead of World Cup

Published:Friday | June 14, 2024 | 12:08 AM
The United States’ Christian Pulisic controls the ball during the World Cup round of 16 fooball match against the Netherlands at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday, December 3, 2022.
AP
The United States’ Christian Pulisic controls the ball during the World Cup round of 16 fooball match against the Netherlands at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday, December 3, 2022.

NEW YORK (AP):

IN A region that provides few tests, the United States views the Copa America as their last significant challenge ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

“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 US opens against Bolivia on June 23 at Arlington, Texas, and plays Panama four days later at Atlanta and closes the group stage against Uruguay on July 1 at Kansas City, Missouri.

The US could meet Brazil in the quarterfinals, but players and staff view this as another step towards June 12, 2026, when the Americans play their World Cup opener at Inglewood, California.

“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 calibre of teams does not match Copa America,” coach Gregg Berhalter said.

“It is a building block in which to go into the World Cup confident.”

Berhalter was let go when his contract expired at the end of 2022 in the messy fallout of a feud with the Reyna family then brought back and returned behind the bench last September. His core is the same as during the 2022 World Cup, where the US lost to the Netherlands 3-1 in the round of 16.

Pulisic, 25, comes into the tournament following his best season. 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. His equaliser gave the Americans a 1-1 draw against Brazil on Tuesday night in their last pre-tournament 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 Under-17 World Cup.

“He’s really finding his goalscoring 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.”