USA 0-1 Uruguay
Copa America fans over at Arrowhead Stadium were left disappointed after seeing the USA lose to Uruguay in the final group stage game in Group C on Monday.
The Stars and Stripes were under enormous pressure to win this game because Panama defeated Bolivia in the other Group C match, but, alas, the Copa America 2024 odds underdogs ultimately fell short against the stronger Uruguay squad.
Mathias Olivera was the unlikely hero for La Celeste, as he scored the lone goal of the match, albeit in controversial fashion.
Uruguay were already through the knockout phase after winning their first two group stage games. But with this win, they join Venezuela and Argentina as the teams with perfect records in this tournament, while Colombia could join them all later.
Without further ado, SBOTOP is here to recap the Copa America 2024 highlights from this contest.
Highlights of the game
With Tim Weah banned for this match after his costly red card against Panama, Gregg Berhalter’s hands were tied. He decided to bring back Gio Reyna into the starting XI to partner with Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun up front, and Yunus Musah was also brought in for the first time in this tournament.
On the other hand, the only change Uruguay made was installing Pablo Quiroga as the interim head coach because Marcelo Bielsa was suspended for coming out late for the second half of the first two matches of the 2024 Copa America and was fined $15,000.
It was a chippy game to start, and both teams had chances in the first 12 minutes of the game. Darwin Nunez was called for an offside in transition, while Gio Reyna’s first shot of the game was blocked by Sergio Rochet after breaking away.
Uruguay winger Maxi Araujo had to leave the game on a stretcher after a nasty collision with Fulham centre-back Tim Ream off a corner, and Cristian Olivera subbed in for him during the 26th minute.
Two minutes later, there was another bad collision on the other side of the pitch, as Folarin Balogun ran into Sergio Rochet after Weston McKennie’s beautiful feed inside the box. Fortunately, this time, both players didn’t need to leave the pitch.
Uruguay almost broke the deadlock in the first half after chances from Nahitan Nandez and Darwin Nunez. Nandez’s attempt was thwarted by Tim Ream, while Nunez’s effort went wide of Matt Turner’s goal.
The game opened up a bit for Uruguay in the second half, as Matias Vina and Fede Valverde had their opportunities to score. Vina almost headed the ball in off a corner, while Valverde tested Matt Turner with his attempt from distance in the 52nd minute.
La Celeste got their breakthrough moment in the 66th minute, as Mathias Olivera kicked the ball at the back of the net off a rebound of Ronald Araujo’s blocked header. When Olivera scored, there was a VAR check on a possible offside, but the referees gave it to Uruguay.
The Stars and Stripes were desperate for the equaliser, and they almost got it during the 86th minute.
Gio Reyna and Christian Pulisic linked up well and found Haji Wright, but Sergio Rochet was there to save the day for Uruguay.
Luis Suarez was subbed in for Darwin Nunez in the 88th minute, and the Inter Miami star almost made it 2-0 for La Celeste when his shot went right to the hands of Matt Turner.
Six minutes were added to the clock for stoppage time, and the USA had one more chance to draw level. Christian Pulisic looked to score, but his attempt went wide, and the refs didn’t give him a corner.
Key statistics
Save for Mathias Olivera’s goal, it was a close game for the USA and Uruguay. Uruguay had slightly more shots (12 to 8) and shots on target (5 to 3) than the USA, and they only controlled 51-per cent of the possession (compared to 49-per cent for the USA).
The USA have failed to advance to the knockout phase after winning their opening group stage game of a tournament for the first time after successfully doing so 23 previous times. They have also lost five times in their last nine for the first time since 2018.
What’s next?
Uruguay’s next match is on Saturday night, but as of this writing, their quarter-final opponent is still unknown.
As for the USA, they will have a lot of questions to answer, including whether Gregg Berhalter will continue to coach the national team for the foreseeable future.
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