Uruguay national team coach Marcelo Bielsa has sharply criticized the playing and training conditions at the Copa America. This is explosive because the USA will also be co-hosting the World Cup in two years’ time
The record could soon be gone – on Sunday night (2 am, CET), Uruguay will have to watch Lionel Messi and his Argentinians fight for the Copa America triumph against Colombia in the final and then possibly win their 16th title, which would make the Albiceleste the sole record winners. They still share this title with Uruguay
The fact that head coach Marcelo Bielsa’s team did not get this chance still pains the Uruguayans days later. However, the 1-0 defeat against Colombia remains less of an issue because of the sporting outcome. Rather, the arguments in the stands after the final whistle were the talk of the town. Because Celeste players were also involved, the outrage was huge. The investigation is ongoing.
Bielsa vehemently defended his team ahead of the game for third place (Sunday, 2 o’clock), which has been pushed into the background. “You’re asking me if I’m afraid of sanctions? How can I be afraid of a sanction that should normally be impossible?” asked the feisty Argentine. “The only thing I can tell you: The players reacted like any other human being.”
The national association had already made similar comments in a statement. According to the statement, there had been provocation and attacks on fans and family members of the Uruguayan players in the stands. They then intervened and defended themselves and their families. At the same time, accusations were made against the host that the US organizers had pursued an inadequate security concept.
This is not the first loud criticism of the Copa’s organization. The USA, who disappointed in sporting terms and were eliminated in the group stage, were also criticized for the training and playing conditions – which is particularly explosive in view of the fact that the USA will be co-hosting the 2026 World Cup with Mexico and Canada in two years’ time.
“They give press conferences and say: ‘No, the pitches are perfect, the training pitches are perfect’. I have photos that show that these are all lies,” said Bielsa angrily. The problems had already been pointed out repeatedly in the run-up to the tournament. And during the tournament, other protagonists had also spoken out, most notably Brazil’s Vini Junior and Argentina’s world champion coach Lionel Scaloni.
“The North Americans are not saying: ‘You will get a perfect pitch’. They say: ‘We’ll give you a pitch that was installed three days ago. The training pitches are a disaster,” said Bielsa, who rejected the organizers’ defense and justification: “We all have a collection of the worst pitches.”
What is clear is that the World Cup will present yet another challenge for the hosts. If the Copa only takes place with 16 nations, 48 participants will ultimately qualify for the World Cup. Eleven of the 16 venues are in the USA, which will therefore host the majority of the 104 matches, including the final in New Jersey.
