In the final group stage match of the Copa América today, the United States fell 0-1 to Uruguay, ultimately finishing third in their group and failing to qualify for the knockout stages. As hosts, this result was clearly not enough to satisfy fans, and the match itself left American players fuming.
In the 66th minute, Olivera scored the only goal of the match with a rebound, but replays showed a clear offside position. Despite VAR intervention, the goal was allowed to stand. USA captain Christian Pulisic was furious, stating after the match: “Honestly, what happened today was something I’ve never seen before. Olivera was right in front of me when he took the shot, I saw clearly that he was offside, I can’t believe the referee made that call. Of course, this goal isn’t the sole reason we lost, the referee’s performance was.”
It’s worth noting that the American players’ anger on the pitch also sparked the ire of the referee. Reports indicate that the referee refused to shake Pulisic’s hand after the match.
In the other group match, Panama defeated Bolivia 3-1, overtaking the USA to secure a place in the knockout stage. According to Copa América rules, the USA needed to beat Uruguay to stand any chance of progressing. Even if Olivera’s goal had been overturned, they would have only earned 1 point, which still wouldn’t have been enough to advance.
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