Copa America: USA 0 Uruguay 1 (Mathias Olivera 66') The US were eliminated from the Copa América with a 1-0 loss to Uruguay on Monday night, a defeat that will increase pressure on US Soccer to remove coach Gregg Berhalter before a World Cup on home soil in 2026. Uruguay scored in the 66th minute when Nicolás de la Cruz swung a free-kick into the box. Matt Turner parried a header by Ronald Araújo, who jumped over defender Tim Ream, but the rebound fell to Mathías Olivera and he tapped the ball home.
Olivera appeared to be offside on the initial header but the goal stood after a video review. Three minutes before Uruguay scored, the US were in position to advance when Bruno Miranda tied the score for Bolivia against Panama in a game that started simultaneously. But Panama went on to win 3-1, clinching the second spot in Group C behind Uruguay.
Using a lineup of players entirely from European clubs, Berhalter and the US hoped to show the team had improved since their round-of-16 elimination against the Netherlands at the 2022 World Cup. Instead, the US opened this year’s Copa with a 2-0 win over lowly Bolivia before being upset 2-1 by Panama. “Where have we come since 2022?” Clint Dempsey, the USMNT captain at the 2014 World Cup, said post-match on Fox.
“You qualify for the World Cup, get out of the group. Where have we progressed? We haven’t. This is our golden generation and it looks like we’re wasting it.
” Berhalter was rehired in June 2023 and given a .
