MIAMI, USA -- Uruguay triumphed 3-1 over Panama in the first match of Group C. This marked the return of "El Loco" to the world's oldest national team tournament.
The Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, where the final of this tournament will be played, saw an explosive start from Uruguay. True to Marcelo Bielsa's style, La Celeste came out to dominate and within just 20 minutes had already made 11 shots, 4 of them on target.
Among those shots, Uruguay built up play from the center to the left, and Maximiliano Araújo received the ball on the edge of the box: with his left foot, he delivered a finessed shot with some curve and a lot of power to open the scoring after just a quarter of an hour.
With Darwin as the offensive beacon and using the full width of the field, Uruguay did not curb their offensive hunger. Around the 28th minute, a good cross from the right by Valverde ended with the Liverpool striker hitting the ball with power but lacking some direction. Mosquera saved Panama from extending the score-line. In the last situation of that initial phase, Núñez couldn't shake off the final defender after a precise pass from Giorgian de Arrascaeta.
Panama had their best chance of the first half around the 37th minute, with a powerful shot from Fajardo from outside the box, which went very close to Rochet's left post.
Uruguay's intensity waned in the second half, allowing Panama to gain better control of the game. A long-range shot from José Luis Rodríguez required a save from Rochet to maintain Uruguay's lead in the 58th minute.
Panama gained possession and their defense was more resilient compared to the first half. However, with five minutes remaining, Darwin Núñez capitalized on a rebound and scored with a left-footed shot, marking a goal on his tournament debut.
In stoppage time, Viña connected with a good cross from De la Cruz, securing a decisive lead for the South Americans. However, also in stoppage time, Murillo maneuvered in the area and scored a consolation goal for Panama.
The final score was 3-1 in favor of one of the most successful teams in the history of the CONMEBOL Copa América™.
What's Next?
Panama will face the host of the CONMEBOL Copa América™ at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, while Uruguay will face Bolivia at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford. Both matches will be played on June 27th.
