GLENDALE, Ariz. – Juan Carlos Osorio could have gushed about how his team responded after losing star winger Andres Guardado to a red card and scoring two goals in the last nine minutes of Mexico’s Copa America opener to turn a tense 1-1 tie with Uruguay into a 3-1 victory.
Instead he opened his post-game news conference by accusing Uruguay defender Jose Maria Gimenez of confronting him.
It hardly mattered, as Mexico walked out of University of Phoenix Stadium triumphant over the team that figures to be their biggest challenge in Group C. Still, Osorio didn’t mince words.
“I very genuinely believe we have won against a great rival who we have tremendous respect for,” Osorio said. “He [Gimenez] came at me with purpose after the game and wanted an explanation from me. I told him that is behavior that is disrespectful and inappropriate from a professional that plays for one of the best clubs in the world, Atletico Madrid, and national teams, Uruguay. This is unacceptable in professional football.”
Osorio said Gimenez was upset that Osorio told his players to play toward his weaker leg. Gimenez hurried through the mixed zone after the match and did not offer comment.
“Any trainer or coach has the right to grade the game against the weaker side of the player,” Osorio said. “I said ‘Go to his left’ because that is his weaker leg.”
Uruguay had a rough night in Arizona. First, the national anthem played before the game was Chile’s and not Uruguay’s. Then defender Alvaro Pereira gave up an own goal in the fourth minute. Then midfielder Matias Vecino was sent off with his second yellow card just before halftime. And after tying the game in the second half, Uruguay surrendered Rafa Marquez’s go-ahead goal in the 85th minute after pinballed around the box and fell to Marquez's feet.
Uruguay’s players fiercely protested the goal to the referee, to no avail.
“A lot of the players were upset that there was possibly a handball,” coach Oscar Tabarez said.
