Uruguay humiliated Bolivia with a 5-0 win in the Copa America, with Darwin Núñez scoring in his seventh consecutive international match.
The win on Thursday night brought Uruguay closer to securing a spot in the Copa America quarterfinals.
“There are still several important steps to take in order to be convinced that Uruguay can reach the level we imagine with the individual talent it has,” said Uruguay’s coach Marcelo Bielsa. “It would be incorrect to make conclusions.”
Facundo Pellistri opened the scoring in the eighth minute, followed by Núñez doubling the lead in the 21st minute, marking his 10th goal in his last seven games for Uruguay and his 13th in 25 matches overall.
Maximiliano Araújo added his second goal of the tournament in the 77th minute.
Federico Valverde and Rodrigo Bentancur scored in the 81st and 89th minutes, respectively, achieving Uruguay’s first five-goal game since their 5-0 victory over Panama in a friendly match in June 2022.
“We have to keep playing with high intensity, a nonstop effort to rout the opponent,” said Pellistri.
Uruguay, in pursuit of their record 16th Copa America title, now has six points with a plus-seven goal difference.
They would secure advancement with at least a draw in their upcoming match against the United States in Kansas City, Missouri.
The U.S. has three points with a plus-one goal difference, while Panama has three points and a minus-one goal difference.
Bolivia, with a 14-game losing streak in the Copa America dating back to 2015, has only one win in its last 32 matches.
With no points and a minus-seven goal difference, Bolivia faces near-certain elimination ahead of their match against Panama in Orlando, Florida.
“This is the third-youngest team of the tournament,” said Bolivia’s coach Antônio Carlos Zago. “We need to trust the process, keep working. Other national teams have gone through this. We have to endure it and let the players grow.”
Despite the significant stakes, MetLife Stadium’s upper deck was largely empty, with only 48,033 attendees. In contrast, Lionel Messi and Argentina drew a sellout crowd of 81,106 for a 1-0 win over Chile two days prior.
Bolivia made six changes from their opening 2-0 loss to the U.S., but Uruguay quickly took control.
Nicolás de la Cruz delivered a long free kick that Ronald Araújo headed to Pellistri, who scored his second international goal.
Núñez, after seven first-half shots, found the net again from a precise pass by Maximiliano Araújo during a swift counterattack.
Maximiliano Araújo then scored his third international goal following a Bolivian turnover, with de la Cruz providing the assist.
Valverde netted his seventh goal after a quick exchange with Pellistri, and Bentancur headed in Giorgian de Arrascaet’s free kick for his second international goal just three minutes after entering the game.
