The United States was eliminated from the Copa America on Monday following a 1-0 loss to Uruguay, while Panama secured their spot in the quarter-finals with a 3-1 victory over Bolivia.
The hosts experienced a surprising 2-1 defeat to Panama last week, entering Monday’s concluding Group C match at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City needing to match or surpass Panama’s performance against Bolivia to progress.
However, US coach Gregg Berhalter’s team failed to pose a significant threat to a well-organized Uruguay side, who advanced to the quarter-finals as group winners.
“Judging by the expressions on the faces of the staff and players, we are profoundly disappointed with the outcomes,” Berhalter expressed. “We are aware of our capabilities and the fact that we failed to demonstrate them in this tournament. It is simply a matter of underperformance. We should have performed better.
“We will conduct a thorough evaluation to determine what went wrong, why it went wrong, but currently, there is a sense of emptiness.”
Captain of the USA team, Christian Pulisic, attributed the loss to a lack of offensive prowess. “We initiated well and brought a lot of energy, but we lacked the necessary quality,” he stated. “We were unable to find a resolution.”
The US team’s hopes of advancement dwindled within the first half-hour upon hearing that Panama had scored the opening goal against Bolivia in Orlando.
The US team’s optimism was momentarily restored early in the second half after Bolivia equalized, placing the hosts in a position to advance, provided they maintained their performance against Uruguay.
However, the US team’s optimism was quickly deflated when Uruguay controversially took the lead through Mathias Olivera in the 66th minute.
A powerful header by Ronald Araujo from Nicolas de la Cruz’s free-kick was deflected by US goalkeeper Matt Turner, only to be met by Olivera, who converted the rebound.
Despite video replays suggesting an offside position for Olivera when Araujo initially made contact with the ball, the goal was allowed to stand following a lengthy VAR review conducted by Peruvian referee Kevin Ortega.
“It’s quite perplexing,” Berhalter remarked. “I am baffled by it, considering my familiarity with the offside rule.
“It’s disheartening, truly. However, such occurrences are part of football, and we must cope with them.”
The US’s chances of advancing were further diminished upon learning that Panama had scored again, regaining the lead at 2-1 through Eduardo Guerrero, with the final blow being delivered by Cesar Yanis with a third goal in stoppage time.
The USA’s early exit from the tournament raises concerns about Berhalter’s future, as he remains unpopular among a significant portion of American fans.
Berhalter was reinstated as US coach only last June after a break, following his leadership in the 2022 World Cup campaign.
The abrupt elimination on Monday is likely to reignite discussions about whether he is the right person to guide the United States in the 2026 World Cup on home soil.
The defeat to Uruguay, ranked 14th in the latest FIFA rankings, extends Berhalter’s unimpressive record against the top 20 teams.
During his tenure, Berhalter has secured just five wins in 20 matches against top-20 teams, with four of those victories coming against regional rivals Mexico — who were also eliminated in the Copa’s initial stage.
This disappointing trend persisted after a lackluster offensive showing against Uruguay, with the US managing only three shots on goal in a struggling attacking performance.
Defender Antonee Robinson criticized the officiating as amateurish but emphasized that the players bore responsibility for the loss.
“In the end, our lack of quality in the final third was evident,” Robinson noted. “Ultimately, we did not perform well enough to secure a positive outcome today. The onus is on us.”
