The US team could not beat Uruguay, so they only ranked 3rd in Group C with 3 points, ending the Copa America 2024 right at home in the group stage. The Uruguay team won all 3 matches to rank first in the group with 9 points, while the Panama team also decided their own chance when they defeated Bolivia to take 2nd place and continue with 6 points.
In the quarterfinals, Uruguay will face the runner-up in Group D (currently Brazil), while Panama will face the top team in Group D (currently Colombia), both on July 7 at 5:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m., respectively. Group D will have its final match on July 3 at 8:00 a.m., with Brazil and Colombia meeting to decide the top two spots in the group.
At Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, packed with more than 75,000 spectators, the US team entered the match with all their efforts hoping to win against a strong opponent from South America, Uruguay, to secure a ticket to the quarterfinals.
Coach Gregg Berhalter's team tried to put pressure on early and created 4 shots on goal against goalkeeper Sergio Rochet (Uruguay). However, the experience and bravery of the Uruguayan team helped them withstand the pressure of the American team, before bringing the match to a stalemate with tight control from both sides.
In the first half, both teams suffered from heavy collisions due to the fierce match. On the Uruguayan side, midfielder Maximiliano Araujo left the field in the 27th minute due to injury and was replaced by Cristian Olivera. Meanwhile, the US team also had to withdraw striker Folarin Balogun to rest and Ricardo Pepi took his place.
The situation became extremely difficult for the US team when after the first half of the match at the same time, Panama led Bolivia 1-0. With this result, the host team of Copa America 2024 only needs to beat Uruguay to get a ticket to the next round.
Therefore, in the second half, the US team had to focus on attacking. However, the Uruguayan players did not give their opponents any significant opportunities, organizing the game tightly and forcing the US team to retreat to defense.
In the 66th minute, Uruguay confirmed their advantage with a 1-0 opening goal scored by defender Mathias Olivera, after a VAR check determined that the goal was not offside. This loss was like rubbing salt into the wound of the US team, as at the same time Bolivia unexpectedly equalized 1-1 with Panama. However, Panama immediately regained the lead by scoring 2 consecutive goals to surpass Bolivia 3-1 and seal the victory.
This also caused the US team to completely collapse, when their efforts to find an equalizer and take the lead against Uruguay were always in a deadlock. The US team's resignation was also shown in the final minutes of the match, when they realized that in the same match, Panama had created a huge advantage in the score against Bolivia, so all hope became meaningless.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/copa-america-2024-doi-tuyen-my-bi-loai-uruguay-va-panama-vao-tu-ket-185240702101700273.htm
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