Pulisic Critiques Refereeing As USA Faces Early Copa America Exit

Christian Pulisic expressed his dissatisfaction with referee Kevin Ortega's performance after the United States was eliminated from the Copa America on Monday. The USA needed a win against Uruguay in their third Group C match but lost 1-0 at Arrowhead Stadium. Mathias Olivera scored the only goal, which stood despite replays suggesting he might have been offside.

This exit marks the first time since 2007 that the USA has failed to progress beyond the group stage of the Copa America. Previously, they had advanced further when invited to participate in 1995 and 2016. The defeat against Uruguay followed a 2-1 loss to Panama, leaving the USA needing a victory to stay in the tournament.

Referee Ortega declined a handshake from Pulisic at full-time. Although Pulisic did not blame Ortega for the team's exit, he was clearly frustrated by the officiating. "Honestly, I saw things that I've never seen before right in front of my eyes today, things that truly I can't believe," Pulisic stated during a post-match press conference.

The U.S. team completed 75.4% of their passes throughout the tournament, ranking above only Ecuador and Peru. Weston McKennie did not attempt 70 passes during the competition, and Pulisic lost possession as many times as he attempted a pass (25 each). These statistics highlight some of the challenges faced by the team.

"It's not why we lost; we're not out of this tournament because of officiating," Pulisic added. "But I've just seen things where I don't know what I'm looking at. I don't know what they're calling. He gives no explanation. He's doing things that I just can't accept."

Uruguay's Prospects

Uruguay topped Group C and will face either Colombia or Brazil in the quarter-finals. Assistant coach Pablo Quiroga, who stepped in for Marcelo Bielsa due to a one-match ban, acknowledged areas for improvement despite their victory. "I think at the beginning of the game we were not intense enough in the initial press," Quiroga said.

He continued, "From there they were able to get the first pass with some comfort, and that prevented us from recovering the ball as we normally do. When we fixed that, in the course of the game, the process went more towards what we wanted."

The U.S.'s early exit is disappointing given their previous performances in past tournaments. Meanwhile, Uruguay remains on track for a strong run but recognises they need to refine their approach as they advance.

Pulisic concluded his remarks by noting Ortega's refusal to shake hands: "He wouldn't shake my hand. It's normal, I guess." This sentiment encapsulates his frustration with how events unfolded during their final match.

Uruguay now looks ahead to potentially facing Colombia or Brazil in what promises to be an exciting quarter-final clash. They are positioned on the opposite side of favourites Argentina in the knockout bracket and are considered strong contenders for advancing further.

The USA's campaign ended abruptly despite high hopes and expectations going into this year's Copa America tournament.