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Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay got off to a fast start at the Copa America, attacking Panama with nine shots in the first 20 minutes of their first group match in Miami. But even with the plentiful chances, they only managed a 1-0 lead until Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez sealed the victory in the 86th minute and Matias Vina made it 3-0 in added time. Panama got one back at the death to put the final score at 3-1.
Maxi Araujo scored the match’s first goal in spectacular fashion in the 16th minute, and Nunez squandered a number of chances to extend the lead against an inferior opponent earlier than he did. As dangerous as Uruguay looked early on, Panama gave them trouble at points in the second half, perhaps giving the U.S. something to think about as they prepare to face Panama on Thursday.
The Athletic’s Thom Harris and Adam Crafton were at a less than full Hard Rock Stadium to share their takeaways from the match.
Darwin Nunez does Darwin Nunez things
Nunez celebrates after scoring against Panama. (Photo: Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
A dramatic penalty shout, four shots and two big chances missed. A magnificent dummied assist, another glaring miss called offside, a new haircut, and a thumping goal. In no particular order.
Chaos follows Darwin Nunez wherever he goes, even across continents. His opening 90 minutes at this summer’s Copa America, at the top of Marcelo Bielsa’s expansive, full-throttle team, was as brilliantly unpredictable as quite literally anyone could have predicted.
Spectacle aside, the 25-year-old’s athleticism and relentlessness is a potential game-breaker. He already has nine goals in eight games under Bielsa, and while he should have added to that tally with a close-range side-footed shot in the first half, and a towering downward header in the second, his uncanny ability to attract opportunities funnels all of Uruguay’s intense off-the-ball running towards the opposition goal.
Panama were unable to punish his wastefulness, and Nunez may not be so fortunate in games to come. But with sheer quantity, the quality invariably comes. —Thom Harris
Might we have already seen the goal of the tournament?
Maximiliano Araujo won’t have been the first name to jump out to many from Uruguay’s starting XI. Aged 24, playing his club football for Deportivo Toluca in Mexico, he has quickly become a mainstay under Bielsa, more for his versatility, energy and quick feet than moments of magic in the final third.
But as he received the ball from his full-back Matias Vina, dragging the ball under his control in one, swift spin, everything seemed to open up.
The move was typical of Uruguay’s attacking play; darting movement off the ball, a crisp first-time pass and an instinctive dummy to find the yard of space. Taking an extra touch to steady himself, he looked up, picked his spot, before whipping a wicked left-footed shot over the outstretched arm of Orlando Mosquera and into the far corner.
Uruguay will score plenty of goals this tournament, but their first will be hard to top. —Harris
WHAT A GOAL 🚀😱
Uruguay takes the lead off this STUNNER from Maximiliano Araújo 🇺🇾 pic.twitter.com/zlecaGpYej
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 24, 2024
Should this game have been held at a smaller venue?
The crowd inside Hard Rock Stadium prior to kickoff. (Photo: Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Walking up to the 65,000-seater Hard Rock Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins and the venue for this summer’s Copa America final, it was difficult not to be swept away by the charm and enthusiasm of the Uruguayan and Panamanian supporters who had taken over the parking lots outside the stadium.
The scene was a blur of light blue Uruguay shirts and deep red Panama, with the Uruguayans setting up portable barbecues and breaking into song. Inside the stadium, however, there were swathes of empty seats dotted around the lower tiers, but particularly visible in the upper tiers.
There is plenty to criticise about CONMEBOL’s approach to marketing and pricing this competition in the U.S. this summer but the issue here appeared to lie in the fact it always seemed ambitious, to say the least, to hold a match between Uruguay (population 3.4m) and Panama (4.4m) in such a vast stadium. The supporters did not stop singing, yet in a venue this size, it always looked a little hollow, and perhaps it would have been smarter to hold the event in a smaller MLS stadium, which really would have got the place rocking and packed out. In the end, the attendance came in at 33,425.
There may be a lesson here, also, for FIFA, who will want to avoid embarrassment at some of the games involving less famous teams at next year’s Club World Cup, while the U.S.-Mexico bid for the Women’s World Cup in 2031, which may be the first women’s tournament to be expanded to 48 teams — and using NFL-sized stadiums — yet it may be more prudent and a better product to use a mix of MLS and NFL stadia. —Adam Crafton
What did the managers say?
We’ll bring you quotes from Uruguay’s Marcelo Bielsa and Panama’s Thomas Christiansen once they speak after the match.
What’s next for each team?
Panama vs. U.S. — Thursday, June 27 at 6:00 p.m. ET (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA)
Uruguay vs. Bolivia — Thursday, June 27 at 9:00 p.m. ET (MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ)
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(Top photo: Rich Storry/Getty Images)
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