KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The U.S. males’s nationwide soccer workforce is in a tough spot — and never for the primary time beneath Coach Gregg Berhalter.
The Individuals (1-1-0, three factors) sit second in Group C — two will advance — but it surely’s a precarious place due to unfavorable matchups on the final day of group play. A U.S. loss to Uruguay (2-0-0, six) would depart Panama (1-1-0, three) needing solely a draw in opposition to Bolivia (0-2-0, zero) in a match being performed in Orlando and in addition kicking off at 9 p.m. Jap time. If each video games end in attracts, the Individuals would advance on purpose differential.
Even a U.S. victory may not be sufficient as a result of a Panamanian victory by a large sufficient margin may flip the purpose differential tiebreaker. Getting into Monday, the U.S. workforce is plus-one; Panama is minus-one.
“Our knockout sport truly got here 5 days earlier,” Berhalter stated of his workforce’s prospects of reaching Saturday’s quarterfinal. “If we don’t put an excellent efficiency, [if] we don’t win the sport, our Copa América is finished. There’s not a lot else to say.”
The U.S. workforce is motivated to rebound from its 2-1 loss to Panama on Thursday in Atlanta, the place Tim Weah acquired an early crimson card — the fifth by a U.S. participant up to now 21 matches in official competitors — and the successful purpose was scored within the 83rd minute.
Failure to advance would strike a substantial blow to the U.S. program, which is searching for to make strides because the 2026 World Cup approaches and develop public help for the workforce and the game. Copa América is soccer’s third-most-prominent event, behind the World Cup and European Championship, and provides the final main check for the U.S. workforce till 2026.
“We’re all extraordinarily motivated and wish to placed on a very sturdy efficiency, particularly on house soil,” captain Christian Pulisic stated of this event’s significance. “We wish to present everybody we’re right here to compete with the most effective.”
Berhalter and his workforce have confronted — and conquered — loads of adversity over the previous 19 months.
On the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, they wanted to defeat Iran within the group finale to achieve the knockout stage. They did.
Within the group opener on the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup, they trailed Jamaica within the waning moments earlier than scoring a late equalizer. Within the quarterfinals, they trailed Canada in further time earlier than benefiting from an personal purpose and finally prevailing in a shootout. Within the semifinals, they got here again in the identical method in opposition to Panama earlier than falling within the tiebreaker.
Within the Concacaf Nations League semifinals this 12 months, america wanted a stoppage-time own goal against Jamaica to pressure further time. Two subsequent objectives by Haji Wright clinched a spot within the closing, during which they thumped Mexico for this system’s third consecutive trophy.
“It’s good expertise to have in our again pocket,” midfielder Tyler Adams stated.
Uruguay, although, is the most effective workforce the Individuals will face in a do-or-die state of affairs since they lost to the Netherlands within the 2022 World Cup’s spherical of 16. La Celeste (Sky Blue), the 15-time Copa América champion, breezed previous Panama and Bolivia by an 8-1 rely.
Uruguay has not clinched passage to the Copa quarterfinals as a result of, in principle, the group may end with three groups on six factors. Its well-known coach, Marcelo Bielsa, is not going to be on the sideline Monday, although: Event organizers suspended him one game and fined the Uruguayan federation $15,000 as a result of the workforce was late returning to the sector after halftime of the Bolivia match.
His longtime assistant, Diego Reyes, will deal with sideline duties. Pressed on whether or not Uruguay will relaxation regulars, Reyes stated Sunday that lineup choices had but to be made.
“My estimate could be they play their strongest workforce,” Berhalter stated.
Bielsa’s absence is not going to alter Uruguay’s plans to play with excessive depth and press aggressively — Bielsa emblems. “We predict as a workforce. There’s a clear thought,” Reyes stated.
The Individuals might want to deal with Uruguay’s type whereas pushing for objectives themselves in a match they nearly definitely should win to advance.
“In case you are taking a look at it realistically, there’s a likelihood that is our final sport,” left again Antonee Robinson stated, “and there’s no motive to carry something again.”
Notes: Already ineligible in opposition to Uruguay, Weah was suspended an extra sport for punching Panama’s Roderick Miller at the back of the top. He would miss the quarterfinal ought to america qualify. …
Goalkeeper Matt Turner, who left the Panama sport at halftime with a leg harm, engaged in restricted coaching the previous two days. Berhalter stated the employees will proceed to observe him. If Turner can not play, Ethan Horvath would begin.
