Just a few hours remain until the USMNT kicks off its final group-stage fixture against Uruguay. The match remains quite a crucial one for the host nation as their qualification to the knockout stages depends on this fixture. In that sense then, one of the most decisive factors of the match would be referees and officials. That said, let’s take a look at the arbiters who have been designated to officiate the match at Kansas City’s iconic Arrowhead Stadium.

Starting with the referee is Kevin Ortega from Peru. He will be running alongside the 22 players on the pitch for the whole 90 minutes. Accompanying him on the sidelines are assistant referees Michael Orue and Stephen Atoche. Interestingly, both of the flagmen are from Peru as well. Meanwhile, gracing the dugout alongside the managers of both nations would be Augusto Menendez, another Peru native. José Antelo from Bolivia would be the 5th official for the USMNT vs Uruguay.

Notably, for those unaware, the key job of a fifth official is to be a substitute for either of the assistant referees. Speaking of the man in charge behind the screens of the VAR would be Carlos Orbe. He would be accompanied by an Assistant-VAR Bryan Loayza. Both of the video referees are from Ecuador. Furthermore, Angel Sanchez from Argentina sits as a Referee Advisor, while Victor H. Carrillo, again from Peru, will handle the duties of a Quality Manager.

It is to be noted that all the referees are experienced as expected and have officiated many key matches in the past. Regardless, even though the list of referees looks neat, the biggest factor remains to witness would be that neither side gets played by biased decisions, especially the USMNT.

USMNT would likely avoid getting ahold of controversial referee moments

Gregg Berhalter and Co. endured a shocking 2-1 loss against Panama. While the Star and Stripes weren’t dominant against the South American side, they had their chances. However, things took a massive turn for them when their star youngster Tim Weah was sent off by the referee over an alleged physical altercation with a rival star. Even US midfielder Tyler Adams asserted that ‘under no circumstances’ it was a red card.

Likewise, while highlighting a few misses from the referee against Panama, goalscorer Folarin Balogun shockingly claimed: “I didn’t think the way the game was finished was in a professional manner.” Certainly, USMNT would be crossing its fingers such incidents don’t repeat, especially in a crucial game like tonight’s. Let’s hope a fair officiating that is in the best interests of both sides is taken place by the aforementioned list of officials.