After suffering an embarrassing defeat to Panama, the United States men's national team must rebound against Uruguay in a crucial Group C match on Monday to avoid early elimination from the Copa América.
In a pulsating end-to-end affair, the United States men's national team (USMNT) managed a respectable 1-1 draw against a mighty Brazil in a friendly match earlier this month. However, the team's performance in its second Copa América group game against Panama was a far cry from that display. A crushing defeat at the hands of Los Canaleros has put the Americans in a precarious position, where they must now win against tournament powerhouse Uruguay to secure a spot in the knockout stage.
"I think they're different situations," USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter said about the team's two recent performances. While losing a friendly can be disheartening, failing to advance from a group that includes relative minnows like Panama and Bolivia on home soil would be a much more severe setback.
USMNT Faces Pressure to Advance in Copa América After Panama Loss
As a result, many within the soccer community believe the pressure is mounting on Berhalter. Re-hired last summer after leading the USMNT out of the depths of their 2018 World Cup qualifying failure, Berhalter's team has since reached the Round of 16 of the 2022 World Cup. However, a premature exit from the Copa América could cast doubt on his future with the program.
Despite the mounting pressure, Berhalter believes his team can pull off a victory against Uruguay. "That's not what we're thinking about," said Christian Pulisic when asked about the importance of the result for Berhalter's future. "We want to continue in this tournament, and that's what's motivating us."
The United States will need to execute a near-flawless game to defeat a Uruguayan team that has won its first two Copa matches by a combined score of 8-1. Despite their dominance, Uruguay has not yet secured a spot in the knockout rounds, making this a must-win match for both sides.
Berhalter expects Uruguay to field their strongest possible team, despite the absence of their suspended manager Marcelo Bielsa. "Their work is not done, either," said Berhalter. The Americans must be wary of Uruguay's dangerous counterattacking style, which has been a key component of their success in this tournament.
"Regardless of who's on the sidelines, it's going to be a very similar playing style," said Berhalter about the impact of Bielsa's suspension.
While the pressure may be on the hosts, Berhalter and his players are trying to insulate themselves from the external noise. "There can't be more pressure on the outside than we put on ourselves as a staff and as players," said Berhalter. "The external stuff we can't control. What we control is how we prepare the team to play confident and have a strong performance."
Pulisic echoed Berhalter's sentiment, saying, "Any of that outside noise, it doesn't affect me personally. I hope it doesn't affect anyone else."
Staying focused on the task at hand could be crucial for the Americans. "The reality is, we still have a lot to play for," said Berhalter. "How do we go out to try to win a soccer game? We know it's a difficult opponent, but that's what we're trying to do."
In the end, the fate of the USMNT rests on their performance against Uruguay. A win would send them into the knockout stage, while a loss would end their Copa América campaign prematurely. As Berhalter noted, "Our knockout game actually came five days early... if we don't win the game, our Copa América is done."
