Uruguay maintained a 100 per cent record in the Copa America group stage on Monday night, beating the USA 1-0.
Facundo Pellistri started for Uruguay once more in the final group stage game of the 2024 Copa America and now awaits who their quarter-final opponent will be this Saturday night.
Pellistri didn’t have the breathtaking outing of scoring and assisting that he had against Bolivia but still saw the three points go to La Celeste.
Manchester United target Manuel Ugarte was also in action and impressed as he seems to be heading toward an Old Trafford move this summer.
Here is how Uruguayan media reacted to the performances of both Pellistri and Ugarte.
How Uruguayan media reacted to Pellistri v USA
Pellistri didn’t quite have the success which he experienced in the 5-0 triumph over Bolivia but put in a shift to ensure Uruguay walked away with all three points.
El Observador rated Pellistri’s display at just a 5/10, but admitted he was treated rather unfairly by the USA left-back Antonee Robinson: “He started with some nerves and committed a foul at the edge of the area at 3 minutes that the referee did not whistle and that could be complicated for the celestial arch. Robinson marked him very strongly and sometimes, unfairly.”
It was El Pais next which also was not overly impressed by Pellistri’s outing: “His rival forced him to appear at times more in defence than in attack. In the end, he had a goal chance at his feet in which he finished first and went a little wide. In the complement, there was no overflow and in fact, it was seen almost as a second lateral at times.”
La Diaria was quite complimentary of Pellistri’s selfless outing in which he worked hard for the team: “An example. He helped a lot in the containment of the Americans; he had less the ball in offensive condition, but when he was able to attack it was very important.”
Pellistri getting mixed reviews is fair as his performance seemed to be mixed with Uruguay having to fight to beat the USA. But his international teammate and potentially soon-to-be clubmate Ugarte was labelled as a highlight.
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Manchester United target Manuel Ugarte also impresses for Uruguay
For Uruguay, it was Ugarte in midfield who shone brightly against the USA as he was unbeatable and played a huge part in the win, with a display which Jason Wilcox and Dan Ashworth will no doubt be drooling over.
Ugarte was highlighted as one of the three stars of the match for Uruguay as El Observador rated him a 7/10 and wrote: “He was the one who later came into play, due to the intensity that the opponent printed this time. He began to grow in his game and that infected Uruguay, with a couple of very good recoveries. In the 74th minute, he saved a goal on the line, after a shot by Pulisic.”
El Pais also lauded the impact Ugarte had in midfield, writing: “From less to more. He was very alone in the mark in some plays, but then he recovered and cut several balls that allowed Uruguay to leave with a dominant ball. He added very important recoveries in the complement and also saved on the line what was the draw.”
Ugarte was singled out by ESPN Uruguay for his display: “A special mention is deserved by Manuel Ugarte and his work in midfield. The midfielder was another of Uruguay’s figures, he won every ball dispute, lavished himself throughout the field of play and was a key piece in the team. One of his most outstanding performances with the light blue shirt.”
Finally, La Diaria also praised Ugarte for an impressive outing: “Impressive. Great game. A lot of work to sustain the offensive game of the United States. In the second part, he was the pattern of the middle.”
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