Marcelo Bielsa anticipated the global reaction to the gritty and physical Copa America quarterfinal between Uruguay and Brazil, which featured 41 fouls, four shots on target, and no open-play goals.
Although the game wasn’t aesthetically pleasing, Bielsa, now leading Uruguay, was more focused on the jubilations at home and among the fans in Las Vegas after La Celeste secured a significant win.
Manuel Ugarte netted the decisive goal in the fifth round of the shootout, allowing Uruguay to advance to the semifinals with a 4-2 penalty shootout victory following a goalless draw.
The match was tough and messy, lacking the usual flair of both South American teams. Uruguay’s Nahitan Nández received a red card in the 74th minute for a dangerous tackle on Rodrygo, yet Brazil couldn’t capitalize on the numerical advantage.
Bielsa commented, “I prefer offensive football, but in this match, we created more opportunities and defended well. We did what was necessary to succeed.”
Uruguay led 3-1 after three shootout rounds, with Sergio Rochet stopping Éder Militão and Douglas Luiz hitting the post.
Although Alisson Becker saved José María Giménez’s shot in the fourth round, Ugarte secured the victory.
Reflecting on the game, Bielsa said, “I’m not happy with only creating three goal-scoring opportunities, but our opponent had just two. We worked hard to create our chances, and that was satisfactory.”
Uruguay will face Colombia in the semifinals in Charlotte, North Carolina, after Colombia’s 5-0 victory over Panama extended their unbeaten streak to 27 matches.
Defending champion Argentina will play Canada in the other semifinal in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with the final scheduled for July 14 in Miami Gardens.
Brazil played without suspended Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior and Neymar, who is sidelined with a knee ligament injury. Endrick, starting in place of Vinícius Júnior, couldn’t invigorate Brazil’s attack.
Brazil’s coach, Dorival Júnior, acknowledged the positives from their matches but lamented their inability to capitalize on their numerical advantage against Uruguay.
Uruguay’s win marked their first Copa America semifinal appearance since their 2011 victory and their first time eliminating Brazil since 1995. The match was contentious from the outset, with notable incidents like Ronald Araújo shoulder-checking Endrick, leading to a brief scuffle.
Araújo left the game with a muscle injury in the 31st minute, and the teams exchanged their best chances soon after.
Darwin Núñez missed a header for Uruguay, and Raphinha was denied by Rochet at close range.
Nández was sent off following a video review of his tackle on Rodrygo, prompting Bielsa to adopt a more defensive strategy, which eventually led to the shootout. Endrick had Brazil’s best chance in the 84th minute, but Rochet made the save.
