Overview
- The United States, with nine changes from its previous lineup, scored four before halftime through Sebastian Berhalter, a brace from Alex Freeman and Diego Luna, with Tanner Tessmann adding a fifth in Tampa.
- Freeman, Berhalter and Tessmann recorded their first international goals as the U.S. stretched its unbeaten run to five and closed the window with victories over Paraguay and Uruguay.
- Marcelo Bielsa assumed full responsibility for the defeat, saying Uruguay’s best players should not lose to what he called a secondary U.S. group.
- Uruguayan media condemned the performance as a “shameful thrashing,” and local reporters described unconfirmed tensions between players and the coach.
- Director of national teams Jorge Giordano publicly affirmed continued support for Bielsa, while U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino separately criticized what he called a widespread lack of respect toward regional managers, naming Javier Aguirre and Miguel Herrera.