The final Copa America Group C match between the United States and Uruguay was full of controversy.
A solitary goal by Olivera in the 66th minute gave the victory to the Charrúas and sent the Americans to apremature elimination from a competition in which they are hosts.
Amidst the offsides and cards handed out in the match, young referee Kevin Ortega reserved one last act that upset many U.S. fans. Just after the end of the match, the Peruvian referee refused to shake the hand of star and captain of the American team, Christian Pulisic.
The young referee, only 32 years old (one of the youngest in FIFA), did not endear himself to Gregg Berhalter’s team, who spent most of the match complaining about his decisions. In their opinion, he handed out unfair yellow cards and made mistakes on Uruguay’s goal that would end up certifying the USMNT’s elimination.
Pulisic less than impressed
Speaking to ESPN, Pulisic went on to assess the referee’s performance, both in the match and when he refused to shake his hand.
“He didn’t want to shake my hand,” said Pulisic. “That’s normal. I guess. Honestly today I saw things I’ve never seen before my eyes. I really can’t believe it. Anyway, this is not why we lost. We’re not out because of refereeing decisions.”
Defender Antonee Robinson also called Ortega’s performance “amateur hour”.