The United States men’s national team bounced out of Copa America 2024 Monday night due to a loss to Uruguay. Gregg Berhalter’s team had to beat the South Americans on the night to remain in the tournament. This was due to Panama topping Bolivia in the other Group C matchup on the night. The results, however, mean that both Uruguay and Panama advanced to the knockout stage.
The disappointing night was particularly frustrating for the Americans due to the officiating in their game. Peruvian referee Kevin Ortega was in charge of the match and regularly made a series of odd calls throughout the night. Undoubtedly the most bizarre decision by Ortega came in the 32nd minute when the ref simultaneously showed USMNT defender Chris Richards a yellow card and allowed Uruguay to play on.
Luckily for the Americans, Uruguay did not score at the moment despite having a huge advantage. Rules clearly state that play must immediately stop once a card is in the process of being issued. After the match, USMNT midfielder Tyler Adams claimed to have never experienced such an incident before in his career. American captain Christian Pulisic also stated similar opinions on the referee following the loss.
A dubious VAR incident also marred the match as well. Ortega, however, is not in control of video replays as a match referee. Nevertheless, the referee’s antics did not stop following the final whistle. Ortega was also seen refusing to shake Pulisic’s hand after the game. Despite the refereeing blunders, the USMNT ultimately failed by not scoring a goal on the night.
FIFA selected Ortega for 2022 World Cup despite controversies
According to reports in his native country, Ortega has been a professional referee since 2015. The official started by working Peruvian Primera and Segunda Division matches at this time, but subsequently gained his FIFA status in 2019. This opened up an opportunity to referee games at the international level.
Ortega was among the…
Source link : https://worldsoccertalk.com/copa-america/who-was-the-controversial-referee-in-the-usa-vs-uruguay-game/
Author : Chris Moore
Publish date : 2024-07-02 15:18:54
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