USMNT crash out of Copa América after contentious defeat to Uruguay
The US was eliminated 1-0 from the Copa América by Uruguay on Monday night, adding to pressure on the U.S. Soccer Federation to fire coach Gregg Berhalter before the 2026 World Cup on home soil.
Uruguay scored in the 66th minute when Nicolás de la Cruz fired a free kick into the penalty area. Matt Turner saved a header from Ronald Araújo, who jumped over defender Tim Ream, but the rebound fell to Mathías Olivera and he tapped the ball in.
Olivera appeared to be offside on the initial header, but after a video review the goal was allowed.
Three minutes before Uruguay scored, the U.S. was able to go ahead when Bruno Miranda tied the score for Bolivia against Panama in a match that started simultaneously. But Panama went on to win 3-1 to take second place in Group C behind Uruguay.
With a lineup featuring players drawn entirely from European clubs, Berhalter and the U.S. hoped to show the team had improved since their elimination in the round of 16 by the Netherlands at the 2026 World Cup. Instead, the U.S. opened this year’s Copa with a 2-0 win over bottom-ranked Bolivia before being defeated 2-1 by Panama.
“Where have we come from 2022?” Clint Dempsey, the USMNT captain at the 2014 World Cup, said after the game on Fox. “You qualify for the World Cup, you get out of the group. Where have we come from? We haven’t. This is our golden generation and it seems like we’re wasting it.”
Berhalter was rehired in June 2023 and given a contract through the 2026 World Cup, which the U.S. will co-host with Canada and Mexico. But despite a lineup that included Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams, the U.S. failed to match their last Copa América appearance, when they lost to Argentina in the 2016 quarterfinals.
“We should have done better,” Berhalter said after the game. “We’re going to do a review and figure out what went wrong and why it went wrong, but it’s definitely an empty feeling right now.”
Uruguay played without coach Marcelo Bielaa, who was suspended for sending his team off late in 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 had to play “the best game of their lives” to advance – and they looked like a team with nothing to lose for much of the first half.
It was a match marked by physical play and questionable decisions.
Folarin Balogun, who had already scored two goals in the tournament, was subjected to several challenges. He was forced to call for help after colliding with Uruguayan goalkeeper Sergio Rochet, and was then left rolling on the pitch after Araújo’s challenge later in the half. Balogun was eventually forced off with a hip injury, with Ricardo Pepi taking his place up front.
Uruguay lost Maximiliano Araújo earlier in the half after a terrifying collision with Ream in the US goal. He had to be carried off the field on a stretcher, but was able to move his arms before entering the tunnel.
Amid the chaos was 32-year-old Peruvian referee Kevin Ortega, who made a number of questionable decisions.
The first came when Ortega started to draw a yellow card and stop play, then let it continue — still holding the card — as Uruguay nearly scored on an attack. The second came when the U.S. had a clear advantage after Uruguay handed the ball, but Ortega blew his whistle after a delay and called the ball back for a free kick. “Little things like that are just amateur time,” defender Antonne Robinson said after the game.
Uruguay began to apply more pressure midway through the second half, with the Americans going into desperation mode after Olivera found the net. And while the U.S. created a few good chances in the penalty area, they were unable to score the two goals they needed—or even one.