The U.S. men’s national soccer team was emotional after losing 1-0 to Uruguay at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday.
The loss left the United States out of the: America’s Cup — becoming the first host nation to fail to progress beyond the group stage — the match was marred by controversial decisions, one of which upheld a ruling that Uruguay’s only goal appeared to be offside.
After the final whistle, American star Christian Pulisic approached referee Kevin Ortega and asked the players to “come to the center of the pitch.” Pulisic walked towards the referee and offered a handshake, but Ortega rejected the gesture.
Many have speculated that Ortega was offended by Pulisic’s comments, which could be interpreted as suggesting that Pulisic should be congratulated for his role in Uruguay’s victory. Others have suggested that Pulisic simply wanted the referee to get closer to the players.
This is not the first time Ortega has been at the center of controversy. In the 2022 Copa Libertadores, Ortega was criticized for awarding a controversial penalty against Boca Juniors. After the match, Bolivian police found a Boca Juniors jersey in Ortega’s booth, which he said was a customary behavior for a winning team.
Ortega is a Peruvian who has been an international referee for FIFA since 2019. Before that, he refereed in the Peruvian Primera División for four years.
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