The People (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 towards Bolivia (0-2-0, zero) in a match being performed in Orlando and likewise kicking off at 9 p.m. Jap time. If each video games end in attracts, the People would advance on objective differential.
Even a U.S. victory won’t be sufficient as a result of a Panamanian victory by a large sufficient margin may flip the objective differential tiebreaker. Getting into Monday, the U.S. crew is plus-one; Panama is minus-one.
“Our knockout recreation really got here 5 days earlier,” Berhalter stated of his crew’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 completed. There’s not a lot else to say.”
The U.S. crew is motivated to rebound from its 2-1 loss to Panama on Thursday in Atlanta, the place Tim Weah acquired an early purple card — the fifth by a U.S. participant prior to now 21 matches in official competitors — and the successful objective 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 crew and the game. Copa América is soccer’s third-most-prominent match, behind the World Cup and European Championship, and presents the final main check for the U.S. crew till 2026.
“We’re all extraordinarily motivated and need to placed on a very sturdy efficiency, particularly on house soil,” captain Christian Pulisic stated of this match’s significance. “We need to present everybody we’re right here to compete with the perfect.”
Berhalter and his crew 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 succeed in 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 additional time earlier than benefiting from an personal objective and in the end prevailing in a shootout. Within the semifinals, they got here again in the identical method towards Panama earlier than falling within the tiebreaker.
Within the Concacaf Nations League semifinals this 12 months, the US wanted a stoppage-time personal objective towards Jamaica to power additional time. Two subsequent targets by Haji Wright clinched a spot within the ultimate, 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 perfect crew the People will face in a do-or-die state of affairs since they misplaced 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 idea, the group may end with three groups on six factors. Its well-known coach, Marcelo Bielsa, won’t be on the sideline Monday, although: Event organizers suspended him one recreation and fined the Uruguayan federation $15,000 as a result of the crew 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 selections had but to be made.
“My estimate could be they play their strongest crew,” Berhalter stated.
Bielsa’s absence won’t alter Uruguay’s plans to play with excessive depth and press aggressively — Bielsa logos. “We predict as a crew. There’s a clear thought,” Reyes stated.
The People might want to address Uruguay’s model whereas pushing for targets themselves in a match they nearly actually should win to advance.
“If you’re it realistically, there’s a probability that is our final recreation,” left again Antonee Robinson stated, “and there’s no purpose to carry something again.”
Notes: Already ineligible towards Uruguay, Weah was suspended a further recreation for punching Panama’s Roderick Miller at the back of the top. He would miss the quarterfinal ought to the US qualify. …
Goalkeeper Matt Turner, who left the Panama recreation at halftime with a leg damage, engaged in restricted coaching the previous two days. Berhalter stated the employees will proceed to observe him. If Turner can’t play, Ethan Horvath would begin.
