‘Crushing failure’ and ‘devastating exit’: US media slams team for Copa America exit

Men’s Football Team USA He received a wave of criticism from the national media after that. His early elimination in the Copa America. Team led Gregg BerhalterHe finished third in Group 3 with only three points. Uruguay and PanamaUruguay topped the group with a perfect score, while Panama secured second place with six points after beating Bolivia on the final day.

The disillusionment within American football is palpable, especially in light of the United States. It was not only the host of the tournament, But he also had high expectations of qualifying for the round of 16. This is reflected in the criticism in various media outlets in that country.

Journalist Stephen Goughin his column in Washington Postand was clear in his assessment. “Disappointing exit for the United States in the Copa America after defeat to Uruguay” He wrote, stressing the negative impact of this early elimination on the team, which aspires to more.

He also emphasized the initial search for selection. The United States came to the Copa America with the goal of proving its worth two years before the World Cup. “He wanted to show how much his young players have grown under coach Gregg Berhalter… It was a devastating exit for the U.S. team, which had been looking to use the Copa America as a springboard to the 2026 World Cup,” he highlighted in his article.

Berhalter himself did not hide his disappointment after the elimination. “We were very disappointed with the results. “We know we can do more and we didn’t show it in this tournament,” the coach explained, reflecting a shared sense of frustration. “We should have done better. At the moment, we have a feeling of emptiness.” Not just from the coaching staff, but also from the fans.

In the same line, New York Post He was decisive in his criticism. “The USMNT’s Copa America failure will only raise more doubts about Gregg Berhalter,” He wrote that the failure had serious implications for the perception of soccer progress in the United States. The media agreed that before the tournament began, the United States was supposed to finish second in the group, downplaying the importance of Bolivia and Panama. Moreover, they understood that the elimination put Berhalter in a delicate position, as his future at the helm of the national team was in doubt.“It certainly doesn’t seem like American football is advancing on the world stage.” The outlet added, stressing the crisis of confidence caused by the failure.

New York Times He did not delay in his analyses and presented in his article the institutional repercussions of exclusion. “US Soccer will conduct a ‘comprehensive review’ after Copa America exit,” the federation said. The newspaper reported that the disappointing tournament held on home soil “failed to meet expectations”. This points to a possible restructuring or major changes in the federation’s approach in an attempt to avoid a repeat of this failure in the future.

This Tuesday, Copa America will hand out the last two tickets for the quarter-finals, Since their elimination, the Americans have been mere spectators to the tournament. The national team will have to watch and learn from the continent’s best teams if it wants to reverse its situation and prepare adequately for the 2026 World Cup, where the national team’s performance will be under even greater scrutiny.

We must remember that the American team had Distinguished participation in the Qatar World Cup 2022They reached the round of 16 and showed the competitiveness and talent of a new generation of footballers. In that edition they qualified after passing the group stage with one win and two draws behind England. In the next round, they faced the Netherlands where they were eliminated after a 3-1 defeat.

But in light of the recent exclusion from the continental competition, The ability to repeat or exceed this success. In future tournaments is in serious doubt.