Neymar Jr expects the United States to be a surprise package at 2024 Copa America after watching them in action against Brazil. The Al-Hilal forward is sitting out the tournament due to injury and will watch his Selecao teammates try and reign supreme.
Brazil’s all-time top scorer spoke glowingly of the United States and the threat they pose at Copa America. He lavished praise on the Stars and Stripes’ captain, Christian Pulisic, alluding to his time at Chelsea (via GOAL):
“I know Pulisic, I watched the Brazil vs United States game and the U.S. team surprised me a lot because they ran a lot, they played great defense against Brazil. [Pulisic] is a great player, he spent a long time at Chelsea. The U.S. will surprise during the Copa America. From what I saw in the game against Brazil, they have everything to give teams trouble.”
Pulisic scored a stunner as the United States kickstarted their Copa America campaign with a 2-0 win against Bolivia. Gregg Berhalter’s men dominated proceedings at AT&T Stadium in Texas on Sunday (June 23).
The United States endured topsy-turvy pre-tournament preparations before hosting it on home soil. They suffered a humiliating 5-1 loss to Colombia but drew 1-1 with Brazil in friendlies.
Berhalter’s side are in Group C alongside Panama and Uruguay. They are ranked 11th in the FIFA World Rankings, and many are unsure what to expect.
Pulisic will be vital for the Stars and Stripes as he’s his nation’s captain and arguably the USA’s biggest star in history. The AC Milan forward has bagged 30 goals and 18 assists in 69 caps since debuting in March 2016.