United States men’s national team forward Christian Pulisic believes now is the time to show the world what they are made of when their Copa America campaign begins on Sunday.
The USMNT has been in Dallas preparing for their matchup against Bolivia, which will take place at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys.
Pulisic, one of the most experienced members of the team, hopes this first match will spark a deep run in the tournament.
“Now is the time to prove our worth,” the winger told reporters on Friday. ‘I think we have learned a lot. We have done some good performances in the World Cup. We’ve shown people that, well, this team can play.
“And now it’s about not just putting in those performances, but finding a way to get results in the biggest games.” That’s the next step for us.”
American striker Christian Pulisic is ready to conquer the world in the Copa América
Pulisic scored the Americans’ only goal in a stunning draw against Brazil this month.
Pulisic has played in a Copa América before when the United States hosted the 2016 Copa América Centenario.
But the roles have clearly changed since then: Pulisic went from being a backup in 2016 to a leader today.
“For me, it’s very important to lead just because of the way I conduct myself every day in training, in the hotel and with the guys,” he said. ‘Also what I do on the field, in the game and I show it to them that way.
‘And if you ask anyone, I’m not the most vocal person on or off the field at all. So when I need to say something, I hope I have a voice that people will listen to.
‘That is my goal. I don’t say much. “I try to just put my head down and work and work, and I hope the people around me see that and that can have a ripple effect on everyone.”
The United States will have some sort of stunted momentum heading into the Copa America after putting together a strong performance against Brazil in a 1-1 draw in which Pulisic scored the American’s only goal. But that followed a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Colombia.
But they will likely face either of those teams again in the knockout stages if the Americans finish first or second in their group.
After Bolivia, the Americans will be tasked with sending Panama and Uruguay to solidify their place in the group. If they win, they will play against the second best team in a group made up of Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay and Costa Rica.