The 2024 Copa America final group stage fixture between USMNT and Uruguay was expected to heat up. While Marcelo Bielsa’s side continues to showcase their formidable selves, Gregg Berhalter and Co. are fighting tooth and nail to progress to the next round. However, things are becoming difficult for the host nation due to the referee, Kevin Ortega, who has been making controversial decisions against Christian Pulisic and Co. In the meantime, as the official’s shocking Boca Juniors controversy resurfaced, NFL icon JJ Watt and many US soccer legends are slamming Ortega for his refereeing.

In fact, things have become so eventful in the match so far that it has left the soccer world in disbelief. Former American footballer JJ Watt took to X during the match and wrote, “Ref is just making it up as he goes out there. What in the world was that 😂😂😂.” Notably, one incident saw Chris Richards clear the ball, but it got deflected by Manuel Ugarte’s hand. Even so, the ball landed in a fortunate place for Pulisic to counter-attack and score a potential goal, Ortega decided to halt the game for handball.

Former USMNT star Alexi Lalas tweeted who is performing at his worst so far: “This is a disgraceful performance so far…from this referee.” Sadly, the camera setup for TV channel users is quite bad today as the broadcasters are airing it from quite a distance. However, USWNT icon Carli Lloyd believes that isn’t the only worse thing in the match: “The ref is way worse than the camera angle. 🤦🏽‍♀️,” she tweeted. 

Interestingly, ex-American star Taylor Twellman was also clearly frustrated by Ortega’s decisions as he tweeted, “Guys…..this referee is completely out of his element. Borderline grade school sh*t. Pathetic.” Another former player Jimmy Conrad also jumped on the bandwagon by tweeting, “Hey, @CopaAmerica. Have a word with your refs. As in, NEVER LET THESE GUYS REF A GAME AGAIN. This is beyond embarrassing. This is so clearly offside.”

Meanwhile, American forward Jozy Altidore wants the concerned authorities to make things right. He tweeted, “Regardless of the result the officiating in CONCACAF/CONMEBOL is appalling. Years of phantom calls or no calls at all. It’s embarrassing. Players and spectators deserve better.”

Clearly, everyone is displeased with the officials’ antics in the game. One may raise their suspicion over Kevin Ortega’s biased decisions after knowing his previous eyebrow-raising controversy.

Previous scandal involving the referee for tonight’s USMNT vs Uruguay match

The skepticism surrounding Kevin Ortega may be right as earlier the Peruvian-based referee’s name has surfaced in a major controversy. Back in 2022, the Peruvian awarded Boca Juniors a controversial penalty against the Bolivian side, Club Always Ready. This decision led to a major police investigation. In a surprising turn of events, officials discovered several Boca Juniors shirts in the referee’s booth.

While Club Always Ready accused Ortega of biased refereeing, Boca Juniors claimed the shirts were merely customary gifts. This kept him in a negative limelight. Notably, in the same year, he also refereed in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, becoming the youngest official to do so. Regardless of these achievements, questions remain about how he has ended up causing troubles for the USMNT against Uruguay.