USMNT confident they're better than 2-0 margin in first win of 2024 Copa América

ARLINGTON, Tex. — With the hood of his U.S. national team tracksuit up and his eyes set straight ahead, Ricardo Pepi was in no mood to talk as he walked past reporters following the Americans' Copa América-opening 2-0 win over Bolivia on Sunday.

Pepi's silence was understandable. The 21-year-old goal machine led all of European club soccer in scoring off the bench last season. But here in his home state on Sunday, the former FC Dallas man had the sort of night every striker sometimes does. The ball just wouldn't go in, with Bolivian keeper Guillermo Viscarra stopping him on four separate occasions after Pepi entered as a substitute in the second half.

None of Pepi's teammates could pad the USMNT's lead, either.

And while it's difficult to be critical of the home team in a game where, as coach Gregg Berhalter correctly said afterward, the outcome was "never in doubt," the cold hard reality of major tournament play is that missing out on another goal or two could come back to bite the U.S. later in the competition — not that they were ruing the squandered chances following the match.

"I don't think any of us are really concerned about that right now," said midfielder Gio Reyna.  "On another day, we score maybe one or two more."

"There's no disappointment," Berhalter said. "For us, it's just about analyzing and improving. I talked about one of our objectives throughout this tournament was to keep trying to get better. So I like the performance for an opening game."  

U.S. captain Christian Pulisic sought out Pepi after one of Viscarra's saves, seemingly encouraging the forward to keep his head held high. "As a striker, the problem is when you don't get chances," Pulisic said. "That's what would be more frustrating. He's