Chile’s criticism of CONMEBOL is gaining momentum. The officiating in the 2024 Copa América is under scrutiny, and the tournament’s host nation, the United States, shares these concerns.
The American team entered their match against Uruguay needing points to advance to the next round. Everything seemed to be going well until the 64th minute. With Bolivia and Panama drawing in the other Group C match, the home team was determined to avoid defeat against Marcelo Bielsa’s team.
However, the tide turned at that moment. Mathías Olivera scored for the South Americans, and the home team argued that the Napoli player was offside. They also claimed that Ronald Araujo, who headed the ball before goalkeeper Matt Turner conceded the rebound, was offside.
“It’s crazy. I don’t understand… We have photographs showing how the rule was interpreted and I feel it was an offside goal. It’s disappointing, it really is, but this happens in football and we have to live with it.” said Stars and Stripes coach Gregg Berhalter.
The American press echoed his sentiments. “Olivera scored Uruguay’s only goal, but replays seem to show that two players, including him, were clearly offside,” reported US Today.
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The report further states that “the VAR review did not help the United States, as the referees maintained after the review that the goal was valid and that there had been no offside. The way they assessed the VAR angle was a bit strange, to say the least.”.
It concludes by stating that “US fans were absolutely furious at the decision not taken, which had a definitive impact on sending the team home from this year’s Copa America.”
Meanwhile, The Sporting News highlights that “there was a lot of controversy surrounding Uruguay’s goal, as it appeared that there was an offside in the play. The VAR reviewed the goal, but the goal stood and things got worse for the United States, as Panama took the lead again against Bolivia.”
Fox also reported that Christian Pulisic, the US captain, attempted to shake hands with the match referee, Kevin Ortega, following the game, but the Peruvian official did not respond. Pulisic drew his own offside line and tried to demonstrate that the Uruguayans were offside.
Finally, the Brobible portal launched a scathing critique of CONMEBOL. “USA” “I am totally angry about the worst decision of all time that ended in a goal.” The sports news site then criticized the South American football confederation. “Soccer in the Western Hemisphere is notoriously corrupt, with dozens of accusations filed over the past decade due to misconduct in the Concacaf, the governing body of football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean, and in the Conmebol, which governs South America.”
Is CONMEBOL’s Refereeing Rigged? USA Fans Say “YES!”
The 2024 Copa América is turning into a hotbed of controversy with the officiating coming under intense scrutiny, particularly from the United States, the host nation of the competition. The latest incident that has fueled the fire is a disputed goal by Uruguay against the USA in their Group C clash.
The North Americans, needing points to secure progression to the next round, seemed to be on their way to a victory until the 64th minute. The match was evenly poised, with both sides battling for supremacy. Then, Uruguay broke through with a goal, but it was scored in a manner that ignited a storm of protest.
The Controversial Goal
The match was tightly contested and the stakes were high. The United States was desperate for a win to stay alive in the competition.
And then, it happened. The Americans were left incensed when Matías Olivera put Uruguay ahead with a goal that appeared to be offside. The initial reaction from the US coaching staff and fans was disbelief. US coach Gregg Berhalter was particularly vocal, expressing his disappointment and questioning the officials’ decision. “It’s crazy. I don’t understand… I feel it was an offside goal,” Berhalter said, visibly shaken by the ruling.
The VAR Review
The officials reviewed the goal using VAR, which is supposed to provide a clearer picture of whether offside rules have been violated. However, the decision stood; VAR did not overturn the referee’s call.
Berhalter was unimpressed with the VAR review. “The way they assessed the VAR angle was a bit strange, to say the least,” Berhalter stated. He added that the decision to uphold the goal had a significant impact on the US’s elimination from the Copa América. “US fans were absolutely furious at the decision not taken, which had a definitive impact on sending the team home from this year’s Copa America.”
Was it Really Offside?
The US wasn’t alone in its assessment of the Uruguayan goal. Media outlets across the US echoed the sentiment of the fans, highlighting the perceived offside nature of goal and the dubious VAR review.
US Today, in its coverage of the match, reported that “Olivera gave Uruguay the only goal of the match, but in the replay, it seemed that two players, including him, were clearly offside.” The publication pointed to the initial header in the build-up, where Ronald Araujo also seemed to be offside, potentially affecting the final position of Olivera.
Furthermore, The Sporting News echoed the discontent surrounding the VAR review. “The VAR reviewed the goal, but the goal stood and things got worse for the United States, as Panama took the lead again against Bolivia.”
A Pattern of Misconduct?
The United States isn’t the only nation who has raised concerns about refereeing in the Copa América. The sentiment that VAR and refereeing decisions are being made unfairly against certain teams has gained traction. The Uruguayan goal is just the latest in a series of controversies that have raised questions about the integrity of officiating.
Brobible went further, directly referencing concerns about corruption within the South American Confederation of Football (CONMEBOL), highlighting accusations of misconduct and improper governance that have plagued the organization for years.
“I am totally angry about the worst decision of all time that ended in a goal,” the sports news site stated. It went on to say that, “Soccer in the Western Hemisphere is notoriously corrupt, with dozens of accusations filed over the past decade due to misconduct in the Concacaf, the governing body of football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean, and in the Conmebol, which governs South America.”
Call for Transparency
The accusations of bias and the questions about the quality of officiating at Copa América 2024 raise concerns about the integrity of CONMEBOL and the fairness of the competition. Amidst the controversy, there are calls for independent and transparent reviews of refereeing decisions, especially those involving VAR.
The United States, as host nation, is the new target. But, concerns about CONMEBOL’s officiating are echoed by many across the continent. As the tournament continues, it will be interesting to see if CONMEBOL takes steps to address the growing concerns of fair play and transparency.