The United States Men’s National Team limped their way out of the Copa America with a 1-0 loss to Uruguay in a match that was frankly marred by atrocious refereeing. The USMNT actually came out and played with a really high amount of energy, particularly in the first half. But, with Panama beating Bolivia 3-1, the US needed to win, and, unfortunately, the goals never manifested for the US. Instead, Uruguay were bafflingly awarded a goal that appeared to be obviously onside, despite Video Review (VAR).
Coach Gregg Berhalter was forced to make some changes to his starting line up with Tim Weah suspended after picking up a red card in the loss v. Panama. Instead of making a straight swap, Berhalter opted to shift Christian Pulisic to the right, pushed Gio Reyna to left wing from midfield, and brought Yunus Musah in for his first start of the tournament (and reuniting the iconic USMNT midfield we saw at the World Cup known as MMA, Musah, Weston McKennie, and Tyler Adams.)
The heart breaking thing about this performance is that there was a lot to like about the USMNT performance. Through the match, and particularly the first half, the US displayed a real intensity in the match. The team very aggressively contested the ball and managed to suffocate Uruguay. And we saw a glimpse of a potential attack verve, with Gio Reyna getting into space on the left in the 11th minute and whipping a good cross that would have been a save if Uruguay’s keeper didn’t come out aggressively to cut the pass short.
Unfortunately, from there, the real defining traits of the match came into focus: injuries and the bad refereeing. Tyler Adams got a yellow card, not for actually fouling someone, but for being stepped on when Uruguay’s Mathías Olivera kicked the ball and clumsily landed on him with the follow-through. Maxi Araujo then collided with Matt Turner and landed hard into the pitch, requiring a stretcher to get off the field. And then Folarin Balogun collided with Uruguay keeper Sergio Rochet after Reyna slipped him a ball (would have been a penalty, but Balogun turned out to be outside on the play). Balogun wound up having to be substituted off about 10 or so minutes later for Ricardo Pepi. In the 33rd minute, the ref awarded a foul for Uruguay and pulled a yellow card for Chris Richards, only to immediately let Uruguay take the free kick while the players responded to the ref, with only Tim Ream scrambling back to clear off the line preventing the team from falling behind.
To cap off the half, right back Joe Scally got hacked down, and then visibly struggled at points in the second half until finally subbed out for Haji Wright at the end of the match.
In the second half, Uruguay managed to slow the game down, to their own advantage, winning a corner within the first 5 minutes of the restart and putting the shot wide of Matt Turner’s goal. A few minutes later, Turner was tested more properly with a shot on target from distance.
And then came the calamity for the USMNT. Uruguay got a free kick in the USMNT’s defensive third. The ball was played in and Ronald Araujo rose up to head towards goal. Turner made a good save, but could only palm it to Mathías Olivera who buried it. But on highlight, it appeared that Olivera was clearly offsides on the initial shot. However, VAR inexplicably refused to overturn the goal.
From there, the game took on an increasingly nervy tone. Pulisic had a goal denied with a clearance on the line. Things got more desperate in the last few minutes.
In the 87th, the US managed to put a shot in through Pulisic, but the goalkeeper was able to scramble back to snatch it away from the line. Minutes later, Matt Turner forced to make a save, only for the ball to be right back up on Uruguay’s end. Christian Pulisic had a blocked shot in the 92nd minute, only for the US to recover enough for Pulisic to put in another shot just a few moments later. And then, finally, Malik Tillman’s shot at the top of the box was blocked in the 95th minute. And then the match was over.
In any case, the USMNT’s Copa America summer is over. Uruguay advances to play the second place team of Group D (likely Colombia or Brazil), with Panama playing the winner of the same group.
This is a massive blow for the USMNT program. This is the first time the USMNT has failed to advance to the knockout rounds of a tournament hosted at home since the 1984 Olympics and a massive setback for the US build up and preparations ahead of hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup. And it is not clear what happens next. Is this humiliation enough to force USSF’s hand and lead to Gregg Berhalter’s replacement? Or does the federation point at the shaky circumstances of this tournament and attempt to soldier on?
Source link : https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/2024/7/1/24190484/usa-0-1-uruguay-2024-copa-america-recap
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Publish date : 2024-07-02 00:28:33
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