Ice-cold referee gives ex-BVB star a strange punishment
The USA is out of Copa America after losing to Uruguay in the group stage with a score of 0:1. The match was heated, and there was a curious scene after the final whistle involving the referee.
A curious scene marked the end of a frustrating evening for the US Soccer team: They were eliminated from Copa America after losing to Uruguay 0:1, and then there was more trouble with the referee!
After the tense and stressful match, referee Kevin Ortega shined a red light at Christian Pulisic as he approached for the handshake, instead of offering reconciliation after the 90 minutes of anger. Instead of a peaceful resolution, there was another confrontation between Ortega and Pulisic. Video recordings of the incident suggest that Pulisic had asked Ortega to celebrate with the jubilant Uruguayans earlier.
"Just amateurish"
The Peruvian referee drew controversy during the match with questionable calls, which angered the US team on multiple occasions. The first incident occurred when Ortega began to show a yellow card and stopped the game, but then continued to let it run while still holding the card as Uruguay came close to scoring.
The second incident took place when the US had a clear advantage after a handball by Uruguay, but Ortega, after a delay, blew the whistle and gave the ball back for a free kick. "Those little things are just amateurish," said defender Antonee Robinson after the game. The US team and fans are also debating the Uruguayan goal, which was not called offside by the VAR.
Pulisic himself, who had vocally expressed his opinions to the referee during the game, did not want to focus too much on the referee later. "I don't want to talk too much about the referee," the captain said. "It's frustrating, but that's what this tournament is about, so we just have to give our best to deal with it."
"Disappointed"
In Group C, the USA finished in third place after two losses in three games. Uruguay won all three group matches, while Panama advanced to the quarterfinals in second place. A win against Uruguay was crucial for the US to secure a chance for the knockout stage of the tournament.
"We had a good start with a lot of energy, but in the end, the quality just didn't cut it," said Pulisic, who now plays for AC Milan in the Serie A, in US television. Coach Gregg Berhalter and the team were heavily criticized in US media immediately after the elimination. "We are disappointed with the result. We know we can do better. We didn't show it in this tournament. We should have done better," Berhalter said.
After the contentious match, ex-BVB star Christian Pulisic expressed his disappointment with the referee's decisions, calling some of them "amateurish." As the US team was exiting the field following their 0:1 loss to Uruguay, the referee, Kevin Ortega, allegedly snubbed Pulisic's handshake, leading to an icy cold exchange between the two.
