After giving it a single touch, he unleashed a stunning shot that sliced through a packed box, narrowly missing Bolivian goalkeeper Guillermo Viscarra, and crossed the goal line after striking the inside of the crossbar.
In the first three minutes of the U.S. men’s national team’s Copa América opener, Pulisic had put his team up 1-0—just the kind of strong start they had been hoping for. Just before halfway, the Americans added another goal, and they triumphed 2-0.
Pulisic sprinted to the sidelines with his arms spread and a huge smile on his face after scoring.
He gestured to his teammates, pointing in particular to Gianni Vio, the coach who conceived the ingenious play and was seated in the stands. The winger was seen on TV saying, “Hey, where is Gianni?” as teammates jumped on him and gave him hugs. Where credit was due, he sought to offer it.
Despite the appearance of emotion, Pulisic stated following the game that there wasn’t any more after that specific goal. Put simply, “It’s Copa América, it’s a major tournament,” he said.
But maybe there was a bit, hidden away. Pulisic set the tone for the news by donning the captain’s armband as it got ready for Thursday’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium showdown against Panama, which is the team’s second group stage fixture.
