In a stunning turn of events, the USMNT crashed out of the Copa America during the group stages, losing 1-0 to Uruguay at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium on Monday night. Despite being the tournament hosts, the U.S. team struggled to find their rhythm, ultimately failing to advance past the group stage.
The match saw the U.S. displaying plenty of intensity, narrowly outdoing Uruguay in possession. However, despite a promising start, the first half exposed troubling signs. While the U.S. successfully limited Uruguay to zero shots on target, they managed just one shot before halftime, a concerning figure for a team in desperate need of goals.
The disciplined first half gave way to a sloppy second half, as the USMNT’s search for a goal became increasingly frantic. Compounding their woes, Panama, who were tied on points with the U.S. before kickoff, took the lead against Bolivia. However, Bolivia’s equalizer midway through the second half offered a brief reprieve for the U.S. head coach Gregg Berhalter signaled to his players that the score in the other game was 1-1, putting them back in second place. This hope was short lived, though, as Uruguay scored the game’s lone goal seconds later. Mathias Olivera netted a header off a set piece in the 66th minute, with a lengthy VAR check confirming that Chris Richards kept him onside.
Desperation set in for the U.S., resulting in a more haphazard and disorganized attempt to find an equalizer. They ended the match with just 0.58 expected goals from eight shots. The refereeing, led by Peru’s Kevin Ortega, was a constant source of frustration for both teams. Ortega handed out three yellow cards but let several significant challenges slide, and made the unusual choice of playing advantage in Uruguay’s favor while issuing a yellow card to Richard’s in the first half.
The physical nature of the game also led to several injuries. Uruguay’s Maximiliano Araujo left the field on a stretcher and in a neck brace, while U.S. forward Folarin Balogun exited before halftime with a hip issue. American Joe Scally was also impacted by a tackle from Darwin Nunez but managed to play much of the second half.
The result, coupled with Panama’s eventual 3-1 win over Bolivia, sent the U.S. packing earlier than anticipated. Expectations were high for the tournament hosts, who were expected to reach the quarterfinals after being placed in what many considered a favorable group. However, they failed to impress in any of their three group stage games. The Copa America was intended to be a measuring stick for the USMNT ahead of the 2026 World Cup on home soil. Instead of proving their worth against top-tier teams, the U.S. faltered against a rising Uruguay, stumbled against a statistically inferior Panama, and showed little new in their victory over Bolivia.
This early exit raises questions about the direction of the USMNT since the 2022 World Cup. Critics argue that the team has made little progress, and the disappointing performance will undoubtedly place head coach Gregg Berhalter under increased scrutiny. The future now looks uncertain for the USMNT, with significant improvements needed before the 2026 World Cup.
