The United States will kick off their Copa America campaign this Sunday against Bolivia. If you’re unfamiliar with South American teams not named Brazil or Argentina any team from the region might seem scary, but Bolivia is a bit of a unique beast. This preview will explain how Bolivia has found success in the last few years, and why that key strength of theirs won’t be available in Copa America.
The Bolivian national team, historically one of the weaker sides in South America, relies heavily on their home-field advantage due to the extreme altitude of their capital city La Paz. La Paz sits 12,000 feet above sea level, almost twice that of Denver, Colorado. However, when playing away from home, they struggle significantly, as evidenced by their dismal away record in competitive matches.
Bolivia and Peru are currently the two outliers in CONMEBOL far below the rest of the quality in the region. Bolivia is the 85th ranked team in the world easily the lowest of all South American nations.
Recent Form and Statistics
Copa America Record (since 1997): 1 win, 8 draws, 20 losses.
Current World Cup Qualifying Campaign: 2nd to last, with only 1 win (vs. Peru at home) and 5 losses.
Recent Friendlies: Wins against Saudi Arabia and Andorra; losses to Uzbekistan, Panama, Algeria, Colombia, Ecuador, and a Mexican U23 team.
Key Players and Tactical Setup
This is not a slight against Bolivia, but there is really only one danger man in the squad that plays at a high enough level to worry about. Miguel “Miguelito” Terceros is a forward who can play in any of the front three positions. Plying his trade for Santos in Brazil’s Serie B, the 20 year-old is mostly with Santos’ Under-20 side. Even still, he is going to be Bolivia’s singular hope at Copa America.
That is heavy pressure for such a young player, but is genuinely one of the few attacking threats on the squad. He is a very left-footed creative attacker who is capable of finding moments of magic - but they are quite few and far between.
Again, I don’t mean to downplay Bolivia or Miguelito, but the United States should be able to hold most of the possession and shut down spaces that Bolivia will look to counter.
Tactical Analysis
Formation and Play Style:
Bolivia is likely to set up in a 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 formation, emphasizing a solid defensive structure and quick counter-attacks.
Their defensive lines will be deep, with midfielders focusing on disrupting play and closing down spaces.
They will be physical and look to make it uncomfortable for technical players.
Expect Bolivia to concede possession, relying on long balls and exploiting set-pieces.
Strengths:
Defensive Organization: Under the current manager, Brazilian Antonio Carlos Zago, Bolivia has shown better defensive discipline, particularly in the central areas.
Physical Play: Players like centerbacks Luis Haquin and Jose Sagredo add physicality to the defense, making them difficult to break down.
Set-Pieces: Bolivia often relies on set-piece situations for scoring opportunities, utilizing their physical presence.
Weaknesses:
Lack of Pace: Both in defense and attack, Bolivia lacks the pace to cope with quicker, more dynamic teams.
Goal Scoring: Without Marcelo Moreno, Bolivia's goal-scoring threats are significantly reduced.
Away Performance: Historically, Bolivia struggles mightily away from home, which translates to a psychological disadvantage having to play each of these matches on unfamiliar pitches.
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Key Strategies for USMNT to Exploit
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