Referee gives ex-BVB star a curious penalty
The USA is out of the Copa America after losing to Uruguay 0:1 in the group stage. The match was heated, with controversy even after the final whistle. In the midst of it all: the referee.
A curious scene marked the end of a frustrating evening for the US soccer team: They were eliminated from Copa América after losing to Uruguay, and then there was more trouble with the referee!
After the whistle blew ending the tense match filled with numerous stressful situations, referee Kevin Ortega shined his light on former BVB prodigy Christian Pulisic during the handshake line, denying him reconciliation after the heated 90 minutes. Instead of a post-game resolution, there was another confrontation between Ortega and Pulisic.
"Simply amateurish"
The Peruvian referee had drawn the ire of the US team throughout the match with questionable calls. The first occurred when Ortega began to pull out a yellow card and paused the game, only to resume play 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 Uruguay handball, but Ortega, after a delay, blew the whistle and awarded a free kick to Uruguay. "Such trivialities are simply amateurish," defender Antonee Robinson commented after the game. The US team is also debating Uruguay's winning goal, a potential offside call that went unnoticed by the VAR.
Pulisic himself, who had voiced his opinions loudly to the referee during the game, later refused to focus too much on the matter. "I don't want to talk too much about the referee," the captain stated. "It's frustrating, but that's part of this tournament. We just have to give our best to deal with it."
"Disappointed and bitter"
In Group C, the US sits in third place after two losses in three games. Uruguay won all three group stage matches, with Panama advancing to the quarterfinals in second place. A win against Uruguay was crucial for the US to secure a chance at 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 hold up," Pulisic said in US television. The team and coach Gregg Berhalter were heavily criticized in US media following the elimination. "We're disappointed and bitter about the result. We know we can do better. We didn't show it in this tournament. We should have done better," Berhalter stated.
In the heat of the post-match handshake line, referee Kevin Ortega, known for his controversial decisions during the game, confronted ex-BVB star Christian Pulisic, causing further tension. Despite the disappointing loss and their elimination from the Copa America, Pulisic remained focused on the team's performance, choosing not to dwell on the referee's actions.
