Placed in the Bolivian arena, the U.S. is in a position that, frankly, is not easy for this team.
Even though, as hosts, the U.S. team is able to bask in the enthusiasm of many supporters wherever they set foot, their performance last year was not as good as it could have been. Looking back at the warm-up matches before this year's CONCACAF, including defeats against Colombia and Brazil, their confidence has certainly been overshadowed.
Luckily, the team just won the Central American and Caribbean Nations League, an honor that sets the stage for the rise of experienced players like Gustian Plessy and rising stars like Yanhofen Po Lekadu Berbi and Maritiman.
The hosts are naturally under pressure, after all, they need all three points from Sunday's opening match against Bolivia if they want to go far in the Americas. With Panama and Uruguay in their next two group matches, they know that today's game is the easiest one to win in their Americas tour.
Looking back at Bolivia's recent performances, the outlook doesn't seem promising as they have scored in only one of their first three matches and only one goal against Andorra in March. However, the South American team's excellent performance in invitational tournaments and in front of other national teams cannot be ignored. Moreover, the team is used to the Texas heat, after all, they are also a hot country, which may not affect them too much.
On a personal note, this will probably be a much tighter game than expected, ending in a draw.
