USMNT crash out of Copa América after contentious defeat to Uruguay

The US were eliminated from the Copa América with a 1-0 loss to Uruguay on Monday night, a defeat that will increase pressure on US Soccer to remove coach Gregg Berhalter before a World Cup on home soil in 2026.

Uruguay scored in the 66th minute when Nicolás de la Cruz swung a free-kick into the box. Matt Turner parried a header by Ronald Araújo, who jumped over defender Tim Ream, but the rebound fell to Mathías Olivera and he tapped the ball home.

Olivera appeared to be offside on the initial header but the goal stood after a video review.

Three minutes before Uruguay scored, the US were in position to advance when Bruno Miranda tied the score for Bolivia against Panama in a game that started simultaneously. But Panama went on to win 3-1, clinching the second spot in Group C behind Uruguay.

Using a lineup of players entirely from European clubs, Berhalter and the US hoped to show the team had improved since their round-of-16 elimination against the Netherlands at the 2022 World Cup. Instead, the US opened this year’s Copa with a 2-0 win over lowly Bolivia before being upset 2-1 by Panama.

“Where have we come since 2022?” Clint Dempsey, the USMNT captain at the 2014 World Cup, said post-match on Fox. “You qualify for the World Cup, get out of the group. Where have we progressed? We haven’t. This is our golden generation and it looks like we’re wasting it.”

Berhalter was rehired in June 2023 and given a contract through the 2026 World Cup, which the US will co-host with Canada and Mexico. But despite a lineup that included Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams, the US failed to even match their last Copa América appearance, when they lost to Argentina in the 2016 semi-finals.

“We should’ve done better,” Berhalter said after the game. “We’ll do a review and figure out what went wrong and why it went wrong but it’s an empty feeling right now for sure.”

Uruguay played without coach Marcelo Bielsa, who was suspended for sending his team out late for the second half of their first two games. Diego Reyes and Pablo Quiroga were in charge for Uruguay on a mild but humid night in Kansas City.

Berhalter and the Americans knew their situation was dire – Pulisic at one point said they would need to play “the best game of our lives” to advance – and they looked like a team with nothing to lose for most of the first half.

It was a game marked by physical play and questionable calls.
Folarin Balogun, who had two goals already in the tournament, bore the brunt of several challenges. He was left calling for help after a collision with Uruguay goalkeeper Sergio Rochet, then was left rolling on the field after Araújo’s challenge later in the half. Balogun eventually had to leave with a hip injury with Ricardo Pepi taking his spot upfront.

Uruguay lost Maximiliano Araújo earlier in the half after a scary collision with Ream near the US goal. He had to be taken off the field on a stretcher, though he was able to move his arms before heading up the tunnel.

In the middle of the chaos was 32-year-old Peruvian referee Kevin Ortega, who made a series of questionable calls.

The first came when Ortega began to pull out a yellow card and stop play, then allowed it to continue – while still holding the card – as Uruguay nearly scored on an attack. The second came when the US had a clear advantage after a handball by Uruguay, but Ortega blew his whistle after a delay and called the ball back for a free-kick. “Little things like that are just amateur hour,” defender Antonee Robinson said post-game.

Uruguay started to apply more pressure midway through the second half, then had the Americans in desperation mode after Olivera found the back of the net. And while the US fashioned a couple of good opportunities in the box, they were unable to find the two goals they needed – or even one.