And so it has arrived, the most pivotal game of Gregg Berhalter’s tenure as USMNT manager as the tournament hosts take on Uruguay in their Copa America group stage finale in Kansas City on Monday.
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If the USMNT doesn’t better the result Panama gets in their group stage finale against Bolivia, this extremely talented U.S. side will fail to qualify from a group they were expected to, at the very least, finish second in and challenge Marcelo Bielsa’s impressive Uruguay for top spot.
Things have not gone as planned after the No. 11 ranked USMNT lost 2-1 against No. 43 ranked Panama in Atlanta on Thursday to put themselves in a very tough spot in Group C. Sure, Tim Weah‘s ridiculous early red card impacted the game massively but Berhalter’s side still coughed up a late goal to lose and have now put themselves one defeat from potential humiliation. Two years on from the World Cup on home soil, this was supposed to be the tournament where this talented group kicked on and Berhalter showed us what he is capable of.
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As for Uruguay, well, they’ve been exceptional in their two games so far, beating Panama 3-1 and hammering Bolivia 5-0. Darwin Nunez is firing up top, Federico Valverde is the heart and soul of this team in midfield and Bielsa’s high-pressing tactics are blowing opponents away. He’s creating yet another masterpiece. The only hope the USMNT really have is that Bielsa rests a few of his key players ahead of the knockout rounds. Even then, a win for the USMNT against Uruguay is a big ask. We are about to see if this USMNT squad is capable of beating an elite team, something they haven’t done under Berhalter since he took charge in 2018. If the USMNT don’t win, it could finally be the end for Berhalter.
How to watch Uruguay vs USMNT, stream link and start time
Kick off: 9pm ET, Monday (July 1)
Stadium: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City
How to watch on TV, stream in USA: FS1, Fox Sports
Uruguay team news, focus
Luis Suarez, Rodrigo Bentancur and Giorgian de Arrascaeta could all come into the starting lineup, while Ugarte, Valverde and Nunez may get a rest. Still, whatever team Uruguay put out there it’s stacked with incredible talent and Bielsa will be eager to win the game and go through as group winners, as the prospect of facing Brazil in the quarterfinals is looking a little easier than facing Colombia right now. At the moment Uruguay look like they best team at this tournament and along with Argentina are the favorites to win it all.
USMNT team news, focus
Obviously someone is coming in for Weah and that should probably be Yunus Musah to give the USMNT some extra midfield solidity. That would mean a midfield trio of Adams, McKennie and Musah, with Pulisic and Reyna ahead of them and Balogun up top. Is that going to happen? Probably not. We could see Musah or McKennie start on the right, with Luca de la Torre or Johnny Cardoso coming into central midfield, while Brenden Aaronson could also start on the right in a straight swap to stop all of his shifting around. All of this sums up what a nightmare it was to lose Weah to that red card as right wing is an area where the USMNT doesn’t have a lot of depth. At the back the four of Robinson, Ream, Richards and Scally should continue. Matt Turner’s injury is a big issue, so Ethan Horvath will come in if Turner isn’t available and the Cardiff City goalkeeper looked shaky against Panama.
Uruguay vs USMNT prediction
The USMNT will do their best to hang in there and make it tough for Uruguay but it will be extremely tough for the U.S. to match the tempo and speed of play from Bielsa’s side. It will be tighter than most expect, but Uruguay will get the job done and the USMNT will have to hope for a favor from Bolivia. Uruguay 2-1 USMNT.
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