Uruguay clinched their berth in the Copa America knockout phase with a convincing 5-0 win over Bolivia, thanks to two first-half goals. Facundo Pellistri, a Manchester United prospect, opened the scoring with a close-range header.
Darwin Nunez scored a second goal in the 21st minute, and it was the strike that decided the game. Marcelo Bielsa’s side dominated every facet of the game, and the floodgates opened late.
Maxi Araujo scored in the 76th minute beneath a rushing Bolivian custodian, bringing the score to three – but they weren’t done.
Five minutes later, Real Madrid superstar Federico Valverde scored a fourth goal, putting Bolivia out of contention. The cherry on top came in the 89th minute, when Rodrigo Bentancur headed home Giorgian De Arrascaeta’s fantastic cross.
Uruguay have won the Copa América 15 times. Their latest Copa championship came in 2011, when Diego Forlan scored twice after Luis Suarez opened the scoring in the eleventh minute.
Once again, their star striker shone. Nunez was dominant in the last third of Uruguay’s second Copa America encounter, having scored in seven consecutive outings.
With two goals so far, he has certainly established himself as a contender for the Copa America Golden Boot, as he attempts to lead La Celeste to victory.
La Verde is on the verge of elimination going into matchday three. They’ll need to win decisively against Panama on Monday. They will need La Celeste to outperform the USMNT, as well as to make up their goal disparity in order to advance to the knockout stage.
What happens next?
Uruguay will face the United States Men’s National Team on Monday to complete the group stage. The United States is in must-win scenario, while Nunez and his team will aim to complete the top three.
