.jpg)
Uruguay and Panama qualified from Group C as the US blew a golden opportunity at the 2024 Copa America on home soil.
Ultimately, the U.S. men’s national team just wasn’t good enough. There are plenty of mistakes to go around, but don’t let that distract you from the first sentence.
Regardless of the reasons why it happened, how it happened and who caused it to happen, the USMNT is out of the 2024 Copa America, and it is their own fault.
Their Copa America journey came to a screeching halt at Arrowhead Stadium. It ended with a 1-0 loss to Uruguay and a 3-2 win by Panama over Bolivia, sealing the USMNT’s fate. Realistically, it had only just come to a close in Atlanta when this mess really began. The US tried so hard to fix the problems that existed and what was worse was the fact that they never could.
Tuesday morning was a chaotic affair from the moment the opening whistle blew. Referee Kevin Ortega was atrocious. Tackles flew everywhere, frustrations were evident on both sides and, for a time, Kansas City was in turmoil.
But amid the chaos, the US never managed to break through. Of course Uruguay did, albeit controversially as Mathias Olivera had a goal disallowed for being onside. The US should have had no complaints. In the end, they had only a few shots and no clear chances.
That, as much as the bad officiating, was the cause of their failure. The US stared at adversity and blinked, suggesting that this team and program may not have achieved the results they believed they could. This Copa America was a failure, and that was the USMNT’s own doing.
U.S. Soccer must reckon with that in the coming days and weeks. Coach Gregg Berhalter’s job is on the line. These players must think long and hard as they reassess their “Golden Generation” label. From top to bottom, questions must be answered. This was a failure that affected nearly everyone involved. It wasn’t good enough, and everyone knew it.
GOAL assessing the USMNT players from Arrowhead Stadium.
Article continues below
2024-07-02 04:17:28
#USMNT #Uruguay #Player #Report #Christian #Pulisic #Eliminated #Copa #America
