KANSAS CITY, Kansas — United States males’s nationwide crew goalkeeper Matt Turner is day-to-day and took part in restricted coaching on Saturday, per a U.S. Soccer spokesperson, forward of the crew’s essential 2024 Copa América group-stage finale towards Uruguay.
The USMNT faces Uruguay on Monday in Kansas Metropolis understanding that even a victory might see the Individuals fail to qualify for the knockout stage on residence soil.
“Clearly, a win places us in the most effective circumstances to enter the subsequent spherical, however we’re all assured,” USMNT midfielder Tyler Adams informed reporters on Saturday. “We’ve 11 gamers on the sphere that may go toe to toe with anyone.”
A 2-1 loss to Panama on Thursday in Atlanta put the USMNT into its present predicament. Ahead Tim Weah was despatched off 18 minutes into the match for jabbing an opponent behind the top away from the ball, and whereas the Individuals scored the opening aim a couple of minutes later, they rapidly conceded an equalizer earlier than giving up the game-winner within the ultimate minutes.
Turner sustained a leg damage from a collision within the opening minutes and was changed by Ethan Horvath at halftime, leaving his standing for Monday unclear. Fox Soccer’s Jenny Taft reported on Saturday that Turner underwent an MRI on Friday and received “good outcomes.”
Weah, who began every of the crew’s first two Copa América matches, is suspended for the essential recreation towards Uruguay.
Uruguay leads Group C with six factors from two matches, whereas the U.S. sits second with three factors, forward of Panama on aim distinction. The Individuals might nonetheless advance to the knockout stage on Monday with any outcome towards Uruguay, however a loss or draw would then require Bolívia, the lowest-ranked crew in South America that simply misplaced to Uruguay 5-0, to select up a outcome.
Even a victory for the Individuals might see them bounced from Copa América on the group stage if Panama makes up the aim distinction (presently +2 in favor of the USMNT) in a victory over Bolivia.
“There’s lots of completely different circumstances that may occur within the recreation that may nonetheless put us by for the subsequent stage,” USMNT defender Antonee Robinson informed reporters on Saturday.
“By way of our [thinking], we simply must suppose {that a} win positively offers us the most effective probability of going by, and if we maintain enterprise on the day and we do not handle to undergo, then it is unlucky and what shall be shall be, and we’ve got to look again to the truth that we let ourselves down within the earlier recreation. However I might wish to suppose that if we win, we shall be going by.”
Adams reiterated the factors he made after Thursday’s loss to Panama: If the Individuals can hold their cool — and hold everybody on the sphere — they will compete with the most effective.
“We all know from inside what we’ve got to do,” Adams mentioned. “We will not be naïve; we will not give folks alternatives to make choices when it goes again to VAR — something like that, that may have an effect on the larger image and our aim. So, once more, clearly the final one with Timothy, we talked to him, we talked about it as a crew: we simply cannot set ourselves up for failure in these conditions.”
Uruguay’s eight objectives scored this event is the most effective of any crew at Copa América. USMNT captain Christian Pulisic mentioned after Thursday’s match that the Individuals would have to play the “recreation of our lives” towards Uruguay. Robinson mentioned as a lot on Saturday.
“It is positively going to return down to an enormous effort from the crew,” Robinson mentioned. “If we’re it realistically, there’s an opportunity that that is our final recreation within the event, so there is not any motive to carry something again. We’re all gonna have to offer all the pieces on this recreation.”