USA and Uruguay off to winning starts in Copa America

NEW YORK   -    Christian Pulisic starred in the United States’ 2-0 victory over Bolivia, while Darwin Nunez helped Uruguay defeat Panama 3-1 as both teams kicked off their Copa America campaigns with wins on Sunday.At the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, USA captain Pulisic curled in a superb early goal and set up a second for striker Folarin Balogun just before halftime. “We came out flying with a lot of intensity,” Pulisic said. “An early goal helped us a lot, but overall it was a pretty dominant performance.”Despite being warned by coach Gregg Berhalter about complacency against a Bolivia side with a poor Copa America record, the USA quickly took control. Pulisic’s goal came just three minutes into the match, receiving the ball from a corner and firing a powerful shot past Bolivia goalkeeper Guillermo Viscarra.Balogun added the second goal in the 44th minute, slotting home after a precise pass from Pulisic. Despite some missed chances in the second half, the USA secured a vital three points.Meanwhile, Uruguay, under coach Marcelo Bielsa, began their campaign with a relentless press against Panama. Maximiliano Araujo opened the scoring with a stunning left-foot shot in the 16th minute. Panama’s keeper Orlando Mosquera made several key saves to keep his team in the game. However, Uruguay’s persistence paid off in the 85th minute when Nunez volleyed home a half-clearance, and Matias Vina sealed the win with a perfectly timed header from a Nicolas de la Cruz free-kick. Panama managed a consolation goal in the final minutes through Michael Amir Murillo.Both the USA and Uruguay have set the tone in their respective groups, showcasing strong performances to begin their Copa America journeys.

Azhar Khan is an accomplished senior sports journalist with extensive experience in the field. He can be reached at azharmasood786@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter at @azharmasood786

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