Uruguay vs Bolivia
MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford sets the stage for a ‘David vs Goliath’ Copa America 2024 clash between Uruguay and Bolivia.
Scoring twice on and beyond the 85-minute mark inspired Uruguay to a clear-cut 3-1 win against Panama in their opening Copa America fixture, propelling them to the top of Group C. Another victory would seal Uruguay’s progression into the knockout phase with a game to spare, a feat they’ve achieved in back-to-back tournaments since an underwhelming group-stage elimination in 2016 – the last time the United States hosted the tournament. Despite boasting a joint-record 15 Copa America titles, Uruguay’s most recent success in the most prestigious CONMEBOL competition dates back to 2011. However, with Liverpool superstar firing on all cylinders, La Albiceleste are among the favorites to climb to the podium this summer. Marcelo Bielsa’s men are confident of beating Bolivia, a side they thrashed 3-0 last November.
Connoisseurs of action-packed football will look forward to this showdown, hoping Uruguay or Bolivia could score 3+ goals as they’ve done in seven of their last ten H2Hs. Finishing on the receiving end of another thumping scoreline would likely condemn the Bolivians to a fourth consecutive group-stage elimination at Copa America following a disheartening 2-0 defeat to the United States on day one. That result extended Bolivia’s dreadful run to four successive losses, three of which saw Carlos Antonio Zago’s side fail to get on the scoresheet. Bolivia’s dire form paints a bleak picture for La Verde amidst their bid to arrest a humiliating streak of 13 consecutive Copa America defeats. Worryingly for the South American minnows, they conceded 3+ goals in eight of those 13 games.