The 2024 Copa América will begin on June 20 when reigning world champions Argentina face Canada at 8 p.m. EST in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The tournament is traditionally held in South America, but a partnership between the soccer federations of South America and North America, Central America and the Caribbean has allowed an expanded version of the tournament to be held in the United States.
The United States men’s national team has competed in the Copa América four times before this year’s edition, including an impressive run to the semifinals in 2016. The USMNT will be looking to replicate its success eight years later.
The tournament will also kick off a series of important summers for American soccer. The U.S. will host the first 32-team FIFA Club World Cup next summer, and the FIFA World Cup will return to American soil in 2026. With three major international tournaments hosted back-to-back, the eyes of global soccer fans will be turned toward the U.S. The Copa América will be the first test for the No. 11 ranked USMNT to see how they stack up against elite teams ahead of hosting the sport’s biggest tournament in 2026.
Attacking options
At the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the USMNT had the second-youngest roster with an average age of 25.2 years. Ahead of the Copa, the roster remains young with an average age of 25.6 years, but the team is now more experienced having reached the knockout stage of the World Cup eighteen months ago.
The USMNT will look to control teams with its energetic midfield. With captain and Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams still returning from injury, a young midfield trio of AC Milan’s Yunus Musah, Juventus’ Weston Mckennie and Borussia Dortmund’s Gio Reyna will likely feature in the opening games. Johnny Cardoso, a 22-year-old midfielder who impressed at Real Betis in Spain last season, will provide more midfield depth.
Juventus forward Tim Weah and AC Milan forward Chrisitan Pulisic will add a speedy and skillful attacking threat up front, but questions remain about who will play as striker. Head Coach Gregg Berhalter has several options on the roster, including PSV’s Ricardo Pepi, Coventry City’s Haji Wright and Norwich City’s Josh Sargent, as well as AS Monaco striker Folarin Balogun who switched his eligibility from England to the U.S. in May 2023. Berhalter is likely to rotate these players until one stakes a claim as the team’s leading forward.
Defense
The USMNT’s Fulham defensive duo of Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson will likely start at the back alongside center back Chris Richards who had a solid club season with Crystal Palace. Joe Scally, a 21-year-old defender who starts for the German Bundesliga club Borussia Monchengladbach, will look to solidify the right back position for the USMNT at the Copa.
Goalkeeper Matt Turner has had several standout performances for the USMNT in recent years and has kept 23 clean sheets in 39 appearances. However, after losing his starting position last season for club team Nottingham Forest after a series of shaky performances, Turner will aim to return to better form at the Copa.
Coach
When Berhalter became head coach in 2018, there was a high amount of uncertainty surrounding the future of the USMNT after missing out on the 2018 World Cup. He worked hard to establish a winning culture with the young, talented team, earning three consecutive CONCACAF Nations League between 2021 and 2024, winning the 2021 Gold Cup and reaching the Round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup.
Despite the recent success, the U.S. Soccer Federation had a chance to go in a new coaching direction when Berhalter’s contract expired at the end of 2022. Instead of hiring a new coach to give the improving team a fresh start, the federation elected to stay with Berhalter. This tournament will test whether Berhalter has the tactical and management skills to bring the USMNT closer to the top of international sport.
Competition
Brazil and Lionel Messi’s Argentina are tournament favorites. Uruguay and Colombia will also be tough competitors, with both teams advancing to the knockout stage in recent World Cups. Mexico, Canada and the U.S., the top three teams in the North American region, will all be looking to see how they match up against elite South American competition.
The USMNT had mixed results in pre-tournament friendlies. The team was thrashed 5-1 by Colombia on June 8, which resulted in the team’s largest loss since 2016. Four days later, the USMNT bounced back with one of its most impressive results, tying Brazil 1-1. With the exception of one distribution mistake from Turner, the team kept Brazil’s electric front line of Vinicius Jr., Rodrygo and Raphinha relatively quiet.
The USMNT is in Group C with Uruguay, Panama and Bolivia. After inconsistency in recent friendlies, it is unclear which version of the USMNT will show up against Bolivia for its opening game on June 23 at 6 p.m. EST. If the USMNT plays each game with the same intensity it did against Brazil, the team has the potential to go far in the tournament.
Thank you for tuning in as the 2024 Copa América begins.
Keep up with The Game Haus further coverage on the Copa América throughout the summer.
For coverage on Esports, and other sports, be sure to check out our main page.