Uruguay begin their 2024 CONMEBOL Copa America journey with a tasty fixture against inexperienced Panama. Here is a preview.
The 11th-ranked side in the world takes on the 44th in this Matchday 1 fixture and the excitement is palpable as this could end with a lot of goals scored.
All of the three previous meetings between Uruguay and Panama ended in a win for Uruguay without conceding a goal. Their most recent matchup in 2022 saw a 5-0 thrashing headlined by Edinson Cavani’s brace.
Uruguay are two-time World Cup winners and they have won the Copa America a joint record 15 times with their most recent title coming in 2011. La Celeste comes into the tournament with a lot of pedigree and talent on and off the pitch with Marcelo Bielsa at the helm.
The Argentine was appointed in May 2023 to become only the second non-Uruguayan manager to coach the national team, yet he led them to record-breaking wins against Brazil and his native country.
14 new players were called up for Bielsea’s first batch of friendly matches against Nicaragua and Cuba with veteran names such as Edinson Cavani, Fernando Muslera and Luis Suárez all dropped from the squad.
The tactician was indeed vindicated as he led the team to a 4-1 victory over Nicaragua and a 2–nil win in the latter game. Bielsa stuck to his big calls in the opening FIFA World Cup qualifier at home to Chile which ended in a 3–1 victory.
Another win against Ecuador followed and they drew 2-2 with Colombia thanks to Darwin Nunez’s late penalty equalizer. A historic victory was witnessed at Estadio Centenario when Uruguay defeated Brazil 2–0 to end their 22-year winning streak against them as well as hand the Samba Boys their first loss in qualifiers since 2015.
Lightning struck twice for Uruguay as they also defeated Argentina at La Bombonera the following month thanks to goals from Ronald Araujo and Nunez. This brutal defeat of the world champions was their first against Uruguay in 10 years and their first in 25 straight qualifiers.
A 3–0 home victory against Bolivia ended 2023 on a high but they will be cautious after registering a draw and a defeat against Basque Country and African champions, Ivory Coast.
Los Charruas will be looking to fly out of the blocks when Copa America kicks off and the game against Panama is a good opportunity to grab a statement win from the get-go.
Uruguay have recorded consecutive quarter-final finishes in the last two continental competitions while they also crashed out in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup. It is time for their new generation of stars to write their own story.
For Panama, this is just their second Copa America after attending the Centenario edition in 2016 and winning their first game against Bolivia. It is safe to say they are keen to outdo that previous record.
Los Canaleros came fourth at the CONCACAF Nations League finals in 2023 while they made a strong start to the Gold Cup later in June. After defeating Qatar 4-0 in the last eight, Panama got the better of the United States on penalties to book a place in the final against Mexico which they lost by a single goal.
Another run to a second consecutive Nations League finals was ended by a defeat to Mexico (again), but what it does is increase their belief that they can mix it with bigger teams in tournament football.
Panama must go into the tournament with a strategic tactical plan as they will be fighting for survival against powerhouses like the USA and Uruguay in Group C. Thomas Christiansen must also hope that one of the big teams falters in their campaign which could directly benefit his team’s chances of advancing to the next round.
Match tickets
This Copa America match-up takes place on Monday, 24 June 2024 with kick-off scheduled for 2 AM UK time. Match tickets are available for sale on the websites of both national federations as well as the tournament organizers so you can hurry to purchase yours.
The Hard Rock Stadium is the venue for this occasion and the fantastic scenery is set to add to the intrigue of this game that will surely have both sets of supporters very excited. The search for tickets might prove difficult given the high demand so we urge those still looking for Uruguay vs Panama tickets to make their search on a ticket resale site.
Team news
Uruguay had the likes of Matías Vecino, Facundo Torres, Ronald Araujo, Rodrigo Zalazar and Bruno Méndez all return to their clubs after the first match of their friendly series in March 2024. They hope to still have a fully-fit squad to choose from when the tournament nears.
Meanwhile, Panama has a complete squad with no injury worries.
Line-ups
Darwin Nunez is the spearhead of this Uruguay team with his tireless work rate and selfless presence up front. He will seek a goal early in this tournament and Panama must be wary of the pacy striker.
Uruguay: Rochet; Araujo, Gimenez, Caceres, Vina; Valverde, Bentancur; Pellistri, De la Cruz, Araujo; Nunez
Jose Luiz Rodriguez is a key man for Panama with his ability to pass with both feet and the technical quality he offers the team including his dribbling skills across the forward areas. His exceptional vision over long or short-range passes further amplifies his importance to the cause and the team would certainly be playing through him.
Panama’s 3-4-3 formation and the fact that members of their squad have played together for a long time could count in their favour in the USA this summer.
Panama: Mosquera; Escobar, Cordoba, Andrade; Blackman, Godoy, Carrasquilla, Barcenas; Fajardo, Diaz, Rodriguez
Prediction
Given their record against Panama and the impeccable history that precedes them in this competition, Uruguay should start their Copa America bid with a win and a clean sheet.
Indeed, a goal for the minnows would be seen as a notable achievement in itself. It is up to Bielsa’s men to get their campaign off to the right start, and their style of play would not be bearing any signs of relenting.
Uruguay 4-0 Panama