Photo: AP
East Rutherford, NJ: Darwin Núñez scored in his seventh consecutive international game on Thursday, as Uruguay defeated Bolivia 5-0 to move closer to a Copa America quarterfinal berth.
The Uruguayans took the lead through a goal from Facundo Pellistri in the eighth minute, and Núñez extended the lead in the twenty-first with his 13th goal in 25 games and 10th in his past seven games for Uruguay.
Uruguay overcame a shaky Bolivian defence, with goals from Federico Valverde (81st) and Rodrigo Bentancur (89th) in addition to Maximiliano Araújo's second goal of the tournament in the 77th.
In pursuit of a record 16th Copa America championship, Uruguay is 2-0 for six points with a plus-seven goal differential. They would advance on Monday in Kansas City, Missouri, if they could at least draw with the United States, or maybe even a loss, AP reported.
Panama has three points and a minus-one goal difference, whereas the United States has three points and a plus-one goal difference. Since 2015, Bolivia has only won one of its previous 32 Copa America games and has lost 14 straight overall.
Going into Monday's game against Panama in Orlando, Florida, it has virtually little chance of moving forward with no points and a minus-seven goal difference. Bolivia is probably going to lose in the group stage for the fourth time in a row.
The upper deck of MetLife Stadium was almost empty, and 48,033 people attended the 2026 World Cup final. Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, defeated Chile 1-0 two days prior in front of an 81,106 maximum sellout crowd
. Following their first 2-0 loss against the United States, Bolivia made six changes, and Uruguay soon took the lead. After Nicolás de la Cruz launched a long free kick down the wing, Ronald Araújo headed the ball centre after outjumping Luis Haquin.
Pellistri nodded in the ball for his second goal for his country after Mathías Olivera was unable to reach it. Maximiliano Araújo's perfectly weighted ball to Núñez, who had seven shots in the first half, set up a swift counterattack. Maximiliano Araújo scored his third goal for his country, making it 3-0. De la Cruz assisted him after Bolivia gave up the ball in midfield.
Three minutes after coming in, Bentancur headed in Giorgian de Arrascaet's free-kick for his second goal for his country, and Valverde scored his eighth goal following a ball exchange with Pellistri.