Who is Kevin Ortega, the referee for USMNT - Uruguay at the Copa América today?

USMNT - Uruguay: how it happened | with controversial Pulisic handshake snub

Peruvian Kevin Ortega will referee the United States men’s national team’s crunch Copa América clash with Uruguay, as both sides bid to seal their passage to the quarter-finals.

What do USMNT, Uruguay need to reach QFs?

While Group C leaders Uruguay need just a point to be certain of going through in top spot - and are likely to progress even if they lose - the USMNT are less well placed. After defeat to Panama in their second game of the round-robin stage, the hosts currently occupy the group’s second quarter-final berth, but are only ahead of the third-placed Panamanians on goal difference.

Anything less than a win may not be enough to take the US through to the last eight - and if Gregg Berhalter’s men do beat the Uruguayans, their fate still isn’t in their hands. They must hope that Panama don’t beat bottom side Bolivia by a margin wide enough to overhaul a -2 goal-difference deficit.

Group C standings ahead of matchday three:

Who is Kevin Ortega?

A referee who made his top-flight domestic debut in 2015, at the age of 23, Ortega has become a familiar presence in both the Copa Sudamericana, South America’s second-tier club competition, and the continent’s elite tournament, the Copa Libertadores.

In 2022, Ortega courted controversy in a Copa Libertadores match between Argentinians Boca Juniors and Bolivians Always Ready. After he awarded Boca a soft winning penalty, Always Ready cried foul when it emerged that their opponents had gifted Ortega club shirts before the game. Boca, however, insisted that this was a routine gesture. “In every match, we show courtesy and attentiveness by giving the match officials a present,” director Jorge Bermúdez said, per Argentinian media outlet TyC Sports.

In the international game, Ortega was among the referees in the men’s soccer tournament at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. His assignments included Spain’s 1-0 victory over hosts Japan in the semi-finals. The following year, he acted as the fourth official in several games at the 2022 men’s World Cup, including the USMNT’s 1-0 group-stage win over Iran.

Today’s game will be Ortega’s first as the match referee at a Copa América. He was the fourth official for the USMNT’s 2-1 defeat to Panama on Thursday, and for Venezuela’s 2-1 Group B victory over Ecuador on June 22.

USMNT vs Uruguay: start time, how to watch

The Group C matchday-three clash between the USMNT and Uruguay takes place today, Monday July 1 2024, with kick-off at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium scheduled for 9pm ET/6pm PT. Viewers in the US will be able to watch the game on Fox Sports 1, TUDN USA, Univision and ViX. You’ll also have the option of streaming the action on fuboTV, which offers users a free trial.

Enjoy the USMNT vs Uruguay on fubo.

You can follow live-text commentary of the USMNT vs Uruguay, right here at AS USA. Will Gittins will be building up to the match from around 90 minutes ahead of kick-off in Missouri, before offering minute-by-minute coverage of the action.

Who are Kevin Ortega’s assistant referees? Who is the VAR?

Ortega’s assistant referees will be compatriots Michael Orue and Stephen Atoche, and the fourth official will be Augusto Menéndez, also Peruvian. The fifth official will be Bolivia’s José Antelo. The video assistant referee (VAR) will be Ecuador’s Carlos Orbe, and the assistant VAR will be Orbe’s countryman Bryan Loayza.