The United States may not reach the knockout rounds of Copa America 2024, a tournament hosted in its own nation, but former Brazil and Arsenal star Gilberto Silva isn’t surprised
The USMNT is on the brink of elimination from Copa America after a disastrous defeat.(©Icon Sportswire (A Division of XML Team Solutions) All Rights Reserved)
The United States men’s national team is on the brink of elimination from Copa America after a shock 2-1 defeat to Panama, but Brazilian soccer legend Gilberto Silva saw it coming.
When the USMNT were placed in Group C with Uruguay, Panama, and Bolivia, they were expected to progress with ease. Uruguay entered the tournament as group favorites, but with the top two teams in each group advancing the USMNT was expected to qualify.
The USMNT won its group opener against Bolivia without any struggles, easing to a 2-0 win in a game where they could’ve scored several more. They went into the game against Panama knowing that a win would almost guarantee qualification with Uruguay already beating them, but after losing it’s now Panama that has control.
Silva, who won Copa America with Brazil in 2007, said that the group would be tough for the USMNT and said they’d need to overachieve to see the tournament as a success. Now, it’s extremely likely their tournament will end on July 1, when they face Uruguay.
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In an exclusive interview courtesy of Bet365’s Copa America coverage, Silva said: “Everything is possible for the United States but of course, it will be tough. You have to do more than you think you are capable of, especially playing at home, you know.
“If they don’t go all the way then it shouldn’t put them down too much because the World Cup is the main one, this type of tournament is like a smaller edition of what they can expect in two months’ time. But the players will still want to keep their fans happy and keep that support in 2026.”
It’s not over for the USMNT, but they’ll need to push for a result against Uruguay and hope that Bolivia can cause an upset against Panama. It’s not impossible, but it’s very unlikely, and fans are already upset with the team and head coach Gregg Berhalter.
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Gregg Berhalter’s role could be at risk if the USMNT doesn’t find a way through to the knockout rounds.(2024 USSF)
Berhalter’s role is at risk, as he was tasked with leading the USMNT through the 2026 World Cup. U.S. Soccer has been preparing for its home World Cup for decades, and hosting Copa America was supposed to be the dream trial run for the biggest tournament in soccer.
There was some outrage among South American soccer fans when the United States was given hosting rights for Copa America, meaning that supporters from the South would have to travel continents to watch their nation compete. But Silva was glad when hearing it would be hosted in the United States, as he believes it’s better for the tournament.
“I’m glad that the tournament is being held in the United States. We have more teams, more fans, it’s a new attraction,” he added. “We have Canada, Mexico, Jamaica, Costa Rica, and some others. It’s interesting because when we go down to South America, we don’t have as many teams as they have in Europe. Now there is an opportunity to have more teams in the competition, but also to discover more talent.”
Source link : https://www.themirror.com/sport/soccer/usmnt-copa-america-panama-brazil-561663.amp
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Publish date : 2024-06-27 22:22:00
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