Uruguay Triumphs 1-0 Over USA: La Celeste Advances to Quarterfinals, Ousting Copa America Hosts
It was a tough evening for the Copa America hosts, yet their rivals etched their names in the annals by advancing to the knockout phases.
The U.S., hosting the event, exited Copa America following a one-nil loss to Uruguay, who soared into the quarter-finals topping Group C.
A disappointing outing at Arrowsmith Stadium, compounded by Panama’s 3-1 thrashing of Bolivia, ensured an early exit for the Stars and Stripes.
Neither team showed much inventiveness upfront, but a goal from Mathias Olivera at the 66-minute mark spelled doom for the hosts.
In contrast, Uruguay maintained a pristine slate, breezing into the last eight and setting up a clash in Las Vegas come Saturday.
Both squads suffered as players fell to injuries in a choppy first half at Kansas City.
Maximiliano Araujo of Uruguay was carried off due to a likely concussion after clashing with Tim Ream, while the hosts’ Folarin Balogun hobbled out shortly before halftime.
A moment of near breakthrough occurred when Nahitan Nandez nearly scored from a cleverly taken free kick at the 33-minute mark.
As halftime neared, the news from Orlando briefly lifted spirits; Bolivia’s equalizer against Panama nudged the U.S. back to second in Group C.
However, delight turned to dismay after a scorching header from Ronald Araujo forced Matt Turner into a save that Olivera capitalized on, staying just onside to nudge the ball home.
Panama quickly reinstated their lead, leaving the hosts in dire need of a double score to progress.
Attempts by Christian Pulisic and Haji Wright were halted at the line, and that was as close as the hosts got, ultimately succumbing as their opponents staved off any comeback.
Uruguay’s flawless journey in Copa America
Dismissing Uruguay in Copa America is an errant move.
Their trophy cabinet brims with 15 titles, a count rivaled only by Argentina. Since 2016’s slight falter, they’ve soared beyond the groups seamlessly.
Marking a first, Uruguay recorded a perfect group stage outcome and kicked off a campaign with three initial wins, mimicking their 1959 run.
Though benched by a sanction, Marcelo Bielsa eyes a quarter-final return, reminiscing his 2004 journey and eyeing a trophy with Uruguay two decades later.
A new low for the host nation
In a twist of fate, the USA, after an initial triumph, stumbled at the group hurdle, breaking a 23-instance streak of progressing.
Berhalter, sticking largely to his tried-and-tested squad, made only one forced swap from the previous match, with Munus stepping in for the benched Timothy Weah.
This tournament marked only the fourth occurrence of the same 10 players starting all group matches, a rare feat showcased previously in significant past tournaments.
Their track record against Uruguay was spotless until now, having clinched their last group games in six successive tournaments.
Yet, a meager xG of 0.58 pointed to their blunted edge in attack. With the crowd behind them, the hosts struggled to ignite, their path forward obscured once they fell behind, sealing their fate in this contest.
