Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa has been suspended by the South American Football Federation for missing the second half of the first two Copa America matches. He will miss his team’s final group stage game against the United States on Monday.
Conmebol said on Sunday that Bielsa had broken tournament rules and fined the country’s football association $15,000.
Copa America regulations state that players must be on the pitch at a specific time after the break and that they will be cautioned after a first infringement. The sanction was issued after the second infringement. Uruguay came on behind in the second half in wins over Panama and Bolivia. Bielsa’s team returned to the pitch 90 seconds behind against Bolivia.
Bielsa’s penalty is the same as that awarded by Conmebol to three other Argentine coaches – Lionel Scaloni (who selects Argentina), Ricardo Gareca (Chile) and Fernando Batista (Venezuela) – for the same reason during the tournament, which is being held in the United States.
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“I think they have to make a little adjustment to see if they can get the timing right,” Peru coach Jorge Fossati said. “At the end of the first half, it’s not the right time to set the clock. You have to do it when you get to the locker room,” he added. “In many stadiums, the locker room is a kilometer away, they have to realize that.”
Uruguay, seeking a 16th Copa America title, have won their opening two games of the competition. They lead Group C with six points thanks to convincing wins over Panama and Bolivia, and have a goal difference of +7. They will qualify for the round of 16 if they avoid a heavy defeat on Monday against the United States in Kansas City. The United States have three points and a goal difference of +1, while Panama are three points behind with a goal difference of -1.
The final match of Group C will be decisive for the U.S. national team and its coach Gregg Berhalter, whose job is on the line after a poor start to the tournament. A better result than Panama’s against Bolivia would likely allow them to qualify, although there are scenarios where the U.S. wins and is eliminated on goal difference. Beating one of the tournament favorites is a tall order, but their task will be made easier by Bielsa’s absence.
