Controversial VAR Decision Seals USA's Early Exit from Copa América
The Copa América 2024 has been nothing short of a nightmare for the United States. The latest blow came when Uruguay's Mathías Olivera scored a contentious goal, validated by VAR, that led to the USA's early exit from the tournament. The decision has sparked intense debate and frustration among fans and players alike.
The controversial goal came 20 minutes into the second half when Ronald Araújo headed a free kick from Nicolás de la Cruz. The United States goalkeeper managed to stop the shot but left a rebound at the feet of Olivera, who pushed the ball into the net. The VAR review, which took over four minutes, confirmed the goal despite doubts about Olivera's position.
Conmebol released the VAR analysis, revealing that the attacker was on the same line as the penultimate defender. However, the use of a camera external to the broadcast to draw the lines has added to the controversy. The human eye perceived it as an offside play, and the repetition of the line drawing seemed to indicate that Olivera's foot, rather than his knee, was used as a reference point.
The validation of the goal condemned the United States to elimination in the first round. Panama's simultaneous 3-1 victory over Bolivia secured their advancement, leaving the USA in third place in Group C. The frustration was palpable as the local team expressed their disappointment with the use of technology.
A Tournament of Setbacks for the USA
The Copa América 2024 has been rife with setbacks for the USA. The injury of Lionel Messi, the elimination of Mexico, and now the USA's own early exit have marred the tournament. The United States team, which has shown significant progress off the field, failed to deliver on the pitch. The local team's performance was lackluster, and the Kansas stadium, with a capacity of 80,000, saw numerous empty seats.
Despite a strong start and high hopes, the USA's campaign was plagued by poor performances and crucial errors. The team depended heavily on Christian Pulisic, but Uruguay's control of the game, led by Federico Valverde, reduced the USA to a minor team. The final blow came when Panama took the lead against Bolivia, sealing the USA's fate.
The early exits of both the USA and Mexico mark the first time in 74 years that both teams have been eliminated in the first round of a major tournament. The Copa América now looks to its remaining favorites, including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Uruguay, to deliver thrilling performances as the tournament progresses.
- Gregg Berhalter, the coach of the United States, expressed his frustration at a press conference, stating, 'It's very crazy. I don't understand. We have photographs that show how the rule was interpreted and I feel like it was an offside goal. It's disappointing, it really is, but this happens in football and we have to live with this.'
- Christian Pulisic, captain of the United States, also voiced his disappointment, saying, 'It's frustrating, I can't find the words to describe what happened. I don't want to talk about the referee either. We had a good start but they (Uruguay) have quality. Now it's time to rest a little, regroup and wait for great things to come.'
- The Copa América 2024 continues with Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Uruguay as the favorites to reach the title. Venezuela also has an open field to reach the semifinals. However, the tournament has already suffered a significant blow with the early exits of the USA and Mexico, highlighting the disparity between the support soccer receives in the USA and the performance of its national team.
