Referee Kevin Ortega earned a lot of criticism during Monday night’s Copa America match between the United States Men’s National Team and Uruguay, but his most controversial move might have actually come after the final whistle.
Throughout the game, Kevin Ortega made a few controversial decisions as he awarded a yellow card to USMNT player Tyler Adams when he was stepped on by an opponent, failed to play advantage for the USMNT in a crucial moment, and failed to stop the match while awarding a yellow card which nearly led to a Uruguay goal.
After the match, Ortega made his most stunning move of the night as he refused to shake the hand of USMNT team captain Christian Pulisic.
An official refused to shake Pulisic's hand after the match pic.twitter.com/lurToJchMC
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 2, 2024
Following the final whistle as Uruguay celebrated on the field, Pulisic walked up to the referee and extended his hand for a handshake. But as soon as Pulisic extended his hand, Ortega put both of his hands behind his back, refusing to shake hands with the USMNT captain.
When Pulisic realized that Ortega was not going to shake his hand, he had some words for him, though it’s not clear exactly what he said.
It’s not clear why exactly Ortega refused to shake hands with Pulisic, but it seemed like a very intentional snub.
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