5️⃣ Things we learned from Sunday’s Copa América action

Copa America Group C is slowly taking shape after Sunday’s first round, with the United States securing a comfortable win over Bolivia while Uruguay moved past Panama.

Here’s what we took from the action in Group C.

The man of the hour

The hopes of an entire nation rest on Christian Pulisic’s shoulders, but that did not stop the striker from firing a cracking shot off the crossbar and into the net within three minutes at AT&T Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The Milanese was the youngest player on the US squad for the last Copa América eight years ago as a 17-year-old, and his development since breaking through as a potential future star has been the driving force behind the current generation of the US men’s national team.

Where Pulisic goes, the USA goes. If he continues to be this good in the coming weeks, there is no telling how far Gregg Berhalter’s team will go.

Not enough firepower

It was clear from the start that Bolivia would struggle to keep up with their rivals in Group C. And although they kept the score relatively well, they were unable to cause much trouble for the USA on the night.

With less than 40% possession and just three shots on goal in the 90 minutes, Bolivia’s weakness was clear to see. They may have the courage, they may have the drive, but after conceding an early goal, it was always going to be hard to turn things around.

The only bright spot was a brief appearance from young Miguel Terceros off the bench, but the Santos man cannot dribble through eleven men when his team needs a goal.

The crème de la crème

When the teams were drawn into Group C, it was relatively obvious that Uruguay would be the favorites to reach the summit.

An impressive win against Panama on Sunday evening did little to dampen the team’s confidence that they will play a key role in the final trophy round in July.

The dynamic Darwin Núñez has enough pace and power to trouble any Copa América rearguard, but he needs to be careful when he takes his chances.

The USA are clearly the team that can cause problems for Uruguay in this group, but even at their best, Gregg Berhaler’s men will struggle to cope with the Celeste’s delicious mix of tenacity and skill.

A brave attempt

Although Uruguay was too superior for Panama, Thomas Christiansen’s team cannot be blamed for their ambition that evening.

They only managed three shots on goal, but they were anything but long-range shots. Sergio Rochet had to do a great job between the posts for Uruguay.

Panama may not have the firepower of the United States or the Premier League and La Liga superstars of Uruguay, but on Sunday night they showed that a few brilliant saves and deflections off the post can mean the difference between a point or nothing.

They will need to create an upset against the USA, but the last time Los Canaleros beat the kings of CONCACAF was in 2021.

Set your calendars

All signs point to the USA and Uruguay meeting on the third matchday, without wanting to offend Panama and Bolivia.

The two teams boast a host of football players from some of the best clubs and leagues in the world, but the potential decision in Group C could depend on the coaching staff.

Gregg Berhalter’s tactics have been heavily criticised, while Marcelo Bielsa has seemingly transformed a Uruguayan team once known for its defensive stability into a dynamic, tenacious attacking side overnight.

The meeting between the two teams next month in Kansas City will be a real test for the USA and perhaps also for Uruguay.