USA v Uruguay: Copa América 2024 – live | Copa América

74 min: Josh Sargent is in, replacing Musah, as the USA go all-out on the attack. They’ll need two goals now, because Panama just scored.

Now we get a replay showing an alleged line showing a defender’s foot being closer to the goal than Olivera’s entire body. The line is of a rather arbitrary nature.

71 min: I’m checking my referee forum to see if they have any idea why that goal counted. One person thinks maybe a defender’s foot was farther back than we realized.

Conmebol, the South American federation, have been doing some engaging videos on the VAR calls in this tournament. Well worth a look.

That is … inexplicable. Olivera was in an offside position on the initial shot, and he “scored” on the rebound.

The biggest fault with VAR is how long it takes to confirm what everyone can easily see. This isn’t a close call.

Referee Ortega is laughing, as are players near him.

Free kick to Uruguay, everyone rushes forward, and Turner has to make a big point-blank save on Araujo. But Olivera is right there to put it in.

But he’s surely offside. Right?

Thank heavens for VAR.

63 min: Word of the Bolivian goal might be getting around the crowd, as we’re hearing a few unexplained roars.

As it stands now, the USA would advance.

Here’s an idea: Maybe have the USA and Uruguay just kick it around for 30 minutes. The Bolivia-Panama game will be over by then, and then they can decide whether to turn up the intensity for five minutes and change here.

Yes, that would be a farce. But a lot of things going on right now are farcical.

62 min: Now Chris Richards is limping.

Musah wrestles with Ugarte. The ref lets it go for a few seconds …

WHOA … Bolivia have scored!

61 min: Uruguay attack on the left, then try to flip to the other side of the field, but Robinson again has Pellistri under wraps.

Early exit or not, Robinson and Balogun have had stellar tournaments.

59 min: The camera lingers on Gregg Berhalter. We may be seeing the last 35 minutes or so of his tenure as US coach – and if you were to base it on this game, it would be harsh. More generally, he just hasn’t inspired a lot of confidence.

58 min: Robinson gets much the better of Pellistri in a duel too close to the US goal. Fulham are obviously better than Manchester United, we can conclude from this anecdotal evidence.

56 min: Looks like we’re going to see Shaq. No, not the NBA legend. Shaq Moore, who did a few years in Spain before coming to MLS. Scally is pleading his case to stay in, though.

Celtic’s Cameron Carter-Vickers would be another option, but he had a rough go of it against Bolivia.

54 min: An extraordinarily patient buildup from Uruguay. They’re not really incentivized in this game, given their massive lead on goal difference. Surprising that they’ve been as committed as they are.

And … Scally’s down again. That can’t be good.

51 min: Viña tries to convince our referee that Pulisic whacked him in the face. No.

Good US pressure forces Rochet into an awkward clearance.

Peter Oh, referring to my story on reffing below, points out that we have four non-blondes reffing this game and asks, “What’s up?” That’s a song that lives forever among cover bands. Proud to say mine doesn’t play it.

49 min: Pepi tries a 1-2 combo with Pulisic, but Uruguay alertly cuts out the danger. They race the other way and get past McKennie, but Adams gets back to play it out for a corner.

Long shot for the upper corner! But it’s a little wide.

47 min: This is degenerating into farce. Players are fouling, looking up and around for a signal from the ref, then fouling harder.

McKennie gets the ball at the top of the 18 but misses wildly.

46 min: We’re underway. The Panama-Bolivia game apparently restarted several minutes ago.

Interesting … I just discovered that referee Kevin Ortega did a couple of games in the last Olympics.

Justin Kavanaugh: “Never mind the USA vacancy just yet, why have Fox not shown an image of the empty tub that Bielsa should be sitting atop? We are in the presence of a great absence tonight.”

Someone should have Bielsa doing commentary. If you’re reading, Mr. Bielsa, please see my email address above.

OK, the “meaningful game ref” story …

In my first season, I found myself as an AR in a matchup of two Under-13 teams from two of the best-reputed clubs in the Mid-Atlantic United States. The referee was a young blonde woman, and the parents behind me figured they’d feed stereotypes of young blonde women, not realizing she had just finished a terrific college soccer career.

Finally, one of the parents exclaimed, “And it’s such an important game, too!”

I was sorely tempted to turn around and say, “It can’t be that important if I’m here.”

Speaking of US Soccer politics, Sam Lopez writes: “As I am MBMing (excuse the verbing), it strikes me Berhalter has Gareth Southgate syndrome; talented team, very little ability to get the best from them. He has needed to be gone for a while… has his brother’s position helped keep him in?”

That would Jay Berhalter, a longtime US Soccer executive. But he’s no longer there.

I’d argue Southgate’s team is a bit more talented than this US team. They just played the game against Slovakia like the teams in the Monty Python philosopher football sketch – 89 minutes of meandering, and then, “Eureka!”

Also in the mailbag, I’ve been told I’m a gem for providing commentary while someone is chasing toddlers. That was me … how many years ago? Too many to count. (As a parent, not a toddler.)

On Rafa Benitez:

Scott Bassett: “Well, he’s out of work, I think…speaks good English, is in his 60s now, likes a project. Seems kinda like the time club managers make that transition?”

Joe Pearson: “To quote former NBC executive Don Ohlmeyer, the answer to all your questions is money.”

Yeah, and US Soccer ain’t got it. Well, maybe they will after they count the money from hosting this tournament. They got a nice bottom-line boost last time. But they also spend a ton of money on their national teams already and not much on development.

A lovely buildup with Pepi, Reyna and Robinson brings us to the end of the alleged five minutes and beyond.

Alexi Lalas is fond of saying there are no more moral victories. The USA have played well. It’s not enough right now.

45 min +5: Scally is still down, and with Dest already missing the tournament due to injury, it’s hard to see who would be a viable replacement.

Turner takes the free kick and slices it like an Olympic archer missing … OK, let’s say Olympic golfer.

45 min +3: Scally is fouled again. And the referee rightly has seen enough of that. Yellow card – whether it’s for this foul alone or persistent infringement is anyone’s guess.

That’s a yellow card on … Núñez!

Scally gets treatment.

45 min +1: Uruguay have asserted control of the game. Adams makes a vital block 20 yards out dead-center.

And give the referee credit for one thing here – Núñez hits the ground between two US defenders but was clearly NOT fouled, and the referee wasn’t fooled.

45 min: Replay of the prior Uruguayan chance – direct play over Scally’s head, played back to the top corner of the area, floated across, and Pellistri simply made a mess of it.

We should have about 6-7 minutes of stoppage time. We’ll probably get two.

OK, five.

44 min: I do still owe everyone my story about reffing a “meaningful game.”

Uruguay with a shot wide. Very quick counter from the USA, and Pulisic has a shot/cross smothered by the keeper.

42 min: Handball on Uruguay, but the referee waited to call it until Pulisic was off to the races down the right.

That’s not how “advantage” works, sir.

40 min: Balogun is down, and it appears he will not continue. Hard to tell what the specific injury might be. He’s been targeted like an Olympic archery … well, target.

Ricardo Pepi, who has been industrious while misfiring like an Olympic archer missing the … well, target … is the sub.

Terrible loss for the USA.

38 min: I’ll get to the Rafa Benitez-related emails at halftime.

Free kick Uruguay after a rather pointless foul by Adams. The kick sails over everything, but it stays in play, and it’s crossed to the one guy the US really don’t want to see with the ball – Nuñez, who whips a shot wide of the near post.

Checking the inbox – Paul Pooley: “I like the overhead tactical cam. Easier to see movement off the ball. Much better than the star cam approach to so many broadcasts, e.g., one player in the Portugal game earlier instead of 22.”

At times, sure, but it’s very difficult to identify players from this.

35 min: Richards would miss the next US match if they advance.

Momentum has shifted.

Players are down. It’s a mess.

34 min: So the referee was calling a foul on Chris Richards and was going to pull out a card. Uruguay decided to take the kick quickly, which you can’t really do under those circumstances, but they take off anyway. Ream ends up clearing the ball alertly and even a little acrobatically.

32 min: NOW we get a US attack on the right, with Pulisic racing up to win a throw-in.

And oh dear, oh dear, oh dear …