The United States’ early exit from the Copa América has sparked a wave of criticism and calls for change within the national team setup. The hosts were eliminated after a 1-0 loss to Uruguay on July 1, 2024, finishing third in their group behind Uruguay and Panama. The decisive goal, scored by Mathías Olivera in the 66th minute, was initially disputed due to a possible offside position, adding to the frustration of the US team and fans.The elimination has put intense pressure on US coach Gregg Berhalter, with many fans calling for his dismissal. Berhalter’s record against top-20 teams, winning only five out of 20 matches, has become a particular point of contention. Despite the criticism, Berhalter insists he is still the right person to lead the team, stating, ‘Yes, you have to keep moving forward. It’s not where you say okay, this program is doomed. That’s not the case at all. It was a poor performance, we didn’t get the results that we expected and we need to get better’.The US team’s performance in the tournament was disappointing, managing only eight shots with three on target and accumulating 0.56 expected goals (xG) compared to Uruguay’s 1.4 in their final match. Captain Christian Pulisic expressed the team’s frustration, saying, ‘We know that we’re capable of more and in this tournament we didn’t show it. It’s really as simple as that. We should have done better’.Meanwhile, Panama made history by qualifying for the Copa América quarterfinals for the first time, defeating Bolivia 3-1. Uruguay topped the group with a perfect nine points from three wins. The US team will next play friendlies against Canada and New Zealand in September, as they look to regroup and address the issues highlighted by their Copa América performance.
Key points
- The US national team was eliminated from Copa América after losing 1-0 to Uruguay, finishing third in their group.
- Fans and critics are calling for coach Gregg Berhalter’s dismissal due to the team’s poor performance and his record against top-20 teams.
- Panama made history by qualifying for the Copa América quarterfinals for the first time.
- The US team will play friendlies against Canada and New Zealand in September as they look to regroup.
Contradictions👾While many are calling for Berhalter’s dismissal, he maintains that he is the right person to lead the team into the 2026 World Cup.
