U.S. Men’s National Team Eliminated from 2024 Copa América After Heartbreaking 1-0 Loss to Uruguay

The U.S. Men’s National Team’s quest for glory in the 2024 Copa América tournament came to a premature end on Wednesday night, as they fell 1-0 to Uruguay in their final group stage match at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.

Despite a bright start and several promising early chances, the Americans were ultimately undone by a controversial second-half goal from Uruguayan defender Mathías Olivera, which proved to be the difference between the two sides.

The loss meant the U.S. finished third in Group C with just 3 points, behind group winners Uruguay (9 points) and surprise package Panama (6 points). Only the top two teams from each of the four groups advanced to the quarterfinals, ensuring the USMNT’s early tournament exit.

“This is a tough result to swallow, but we have to give credit to a very experienced and tactically disciplined Uruguayan team,” said a visibly disappointed U.S. head coach Gregg Berhalter after the match. “We had our moments, particularly in the first half, but just couldn’t find that final pass or finish to get us the goal we needed.”

The opening stages of the game were dominated by the Americans, who looked bright and confident on the ball. Gio Reyna and Antonee Robinson both went close with early efforts, while Christian Pulisic was a constant thorn in the side of the Uruguayan defence.

However, the match quickly descended into a physical battle, with both teams committing a series of tactical fouls and collisions that disrupted the flow of the game. The injuries to Uruguay’s Maximiliano Araújo and the U.S.’s Folarin Balogun before halftime only added to the disjointed nature of the proceedings.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 66th minute, but not without controversy. After a save by U.S. goalkeeper Matt Turner, the ball bounced off the post and hit the back of the goalkeeper’s head before crossing the line. The goal was initially ruled out for offside, but after a lengthy VAR review, the officials awarded the strike to Olivera, much to the dismay of the American bench and supporters in the crowd.

The USMNT pushed hard for an equalizer in the closing stages, with Berhalter throwing on attacking substitutes like Josh Sargent and Haji Wright in search of the elusive goal. However, Uruguay’s defence held firm and the Americans were ultimately unable to find a way through.

Despite the disappointment of the early exit, there were still some positives for the U.S. to take away from the tournament. Yunus Musah’s start in the match made him the youngest USMNT player to earn 25 caps in official competition, while captain Pulisic’s appearance was his 50th competitive outing for the national team.

With the Copa América now firmly in the rearview mirror, the USMNT will shift its focus to upcoming home friendlies against Canada and New Zealand in September, as well as the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup, as they look to regroup and rebuild for the future.

“This is a setback, no doubt about it,” Berhalter acknowledged. “But we have to use this experience to learn and grow as a team. The road ahead is long, and we remain committed to building a program that can compete at the highest levels of international football.”