There were unsavoury scenes after Copa America hosts USA were dumped out of their own tournament at the group stage with a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Uruguay on Monday night.
After picking up just three points from their two opening contests, the USA entered the all-important clash knowing they had to match or better Panama’s result against Bolivia in the evening’s other game.
But Panama held their nerve to win their final Group C match 3-1 and the USA had a mountain climb as Mathias Olivera put Uruguay in front with a strike on the rebound in the 66th minute at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium.
After a lengthy VAR check for offside, the goal was eventually given by referee Kevin Ortega and Uruguay – the Group C winners – held firm to confirm the tournament hosts’ elimination.
Gregg Berhalter’s players made their feelings known over the contentious call and their protestations continued long after the final whistle, with replays showing that Olivera may have strayed offside following Ronald Araujo’s initial header.
USA captain Christian Pulisic was visibly apoplectic at full-time and sarcastically demanded that Ortega celebrate with Uruguay’s players – insinuating that he had been on their side during the game.
‘Why aren’t you over there with them?’ the AC Milan forward was caught saying during the exchange.
Moments later, Pulisic was pictured approaching Ortega and his team to shake hands, but the Peruvian official blankly refused the offer and instead stared ex-Chelsea winger in the eye which appeared to infuriate the USA skipper further still.
‘He wouldn’t shake my hand. It’s normal – I mean, I guess,’ Pulisic said in the aftermath of the incident.
‘Honestly, I mean I saw things that I’ve never seen before right in front of my eyes today that I just I truly I can’t believe.
‘It’s not why we lost. We’re not out of this tournament because of officiating.
‘But really, I’ve just seen things that I just really – I think everyone can just give admit I don’t know what I’m looking at.
‘I don’t know what they’re calling. I don’t know what he’s… he gives no explanation. He’s doing things that I just can’t accept.’
USA head coach Berhalter shared Pulisic’s frustration over the officiating during the encounter but said that he and his players would ‘have to live with it’ and bounce back stronger.
‘It’s pretty crazy, really. I don’t understand it,’ he said.
‘I feel like I know the rule pretty well. I feel like we had the pictures that are showing how the rule could be interpreted and it’s an offside goal.
‘It’s disappointing, it really is, but you know, that happens in football and we have to live with it, obviously.’
Berhalter said he was left with an ’empty feeling’ following his side’s elimination.
‘I’m totally disappointed with the results. We know that we’re capable of more. In this one, we didn’t show it,’ he added.
‘It’s really as simple as that. I think that you look at the stage that was set with the fans in this tournament, with a high level of competition in this tournament, and we should have done better.
‘We’ll do a review and figure out what went wrong, why it went wrong, but I think it’s an empty feeling right now for sure.’
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