The United States men’s national soccer team faced a disheartening exit from the Copa America after a challenging match against Uruguay, ending in a narrow 1-0 defeat during Monday night’s group stage encounter.
While the team had to accept responsibility for the loss, the performance of head referee Kevin Ortega did little to aid their cause, casting a shadow over the fairness of the officiating throughout the game.
Several contentious decisions marred the U.S. team’s efforts, beginning with a questionable yellow card issued to midfielder Tyler Adams.
This decision was soon compounded by Ortega’s untimely whistle, which prematurely halted a promising U.S. counterattack in the first half, leaving players and fans alike frustrated by the disruption of the team’s offensive rhythm.
The tension between the players and Ortega escalated after the match concluded, with a notable incident involving U.S. star Christian Pulisic.
Cameras captured a moment where Pulisic appeared to gesture towards Ortega, suggesting that the referee was celebrating with the Uruguayan team, an action that would severely breach the expected neutrality. This likely contributed to Ortega’s subsequent refusal to shake hands with Pulisic, a gesture that did little to quell the controversy.
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Ortega’s handling of the game faced further scrutiny due to a series of misjudgments, most glaringly during an incident in the 32nd minute. USMNT defender Chris Richards committed a foul, and as Ortega reached for his yellow card, Uruguay attempted to execute a quick free kick. In a puzzling decision, Ortega allowed play to continue despite the usual protocol that play should be paused for the booking to be officially recorded, adding to the perception of inconsistent refereeing.
The decisive moment of the match came in the 66th minute when Uruguay capitalized on a free kick to score the only goal.
The setup for this goal followed a lengthy and controversial VAR review for an offsides call, which only intensified the scrutiny on the refereeing.
This loss, combined with an earlier 2-1 defeat to Panama, meant that the U.S. needed a victory over Uruguay to progress to the knockout stages—a goal that, regrettably, remained unachieved.
The accumulation of refereeing oversights and the resultant loss underscored a night of missed opportunities and questionable officiating, leaving the USMNT and its supporters to ponder what might have been under different circumstances.
