Video: Referee Refused To Shake Christian Pulisic's Hand After Game

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07/02/2024 09:06 AM

After the United States fell short to Uruguay in the final game of the group stage, Christian Pulisic tried to shake referee Kevin Ortega's hand. What happened next was something you don't see often in sports.

Ortega legitimately refused to shake Pulisic's hand after the United States lost 1-0. He put his hands behind his back to ensure that he wouldn't shake his hand.

Pulisic, the captain of the USMNT, tried to downplay the situation after his squad was eliminated from Copa América.

"He wouldn't shake my hand," Pulisic told reporters. "It's normal - I mean, I guess."

Another angle of this awkward exchange appears to show Pulisic mocking the referee. Perhaps that's why he refused to shake his hand.

The referee refusing to shake Pulisic's hand pic.twitter.com/i2U01tlYE1
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) July 2, 2024

During Pulisic's media availability on Monday night, he addressed the officiating in this year's Copa América. Unsurprisingly, he didn't have anything good to say.

"It's not why we lost; we're not out of this tournament because of officiating," Pulisic said, via ESPN. "But really, I've just seen things that I just really -- I mean I think everyone can just give admit I don't know what I'm looking at. I don't know what they're calling. I don't know what he's -- he gives no explanation. He's doing things that I just can't accept."

At the end of the day, the USMNT wasn't good enough to advance to the knockout stage. Pulisic and the rest of the squad has to use this as a learning experience if they want to be better in the 2026 World Cup.