3️⃣ things we learned as Uruguay cruise and USA capitulate in Group C

Copa América Group C is taking shape as Uruguay swatted aside Bolivia, and Panama stunned 10-man United States.

Here is what we made of the dramatic action in the two games.

Baton officially passed

Uruguay have had some stellar strikers over the years — Edinson Cavani, Diego Forlán, and Luis Suárez have all lead the line for La Celeste in the last decade, but that era of legends is finally coming to a close.

But fear not Uruguay fans, Darwin Núñez is proving that he is the man to lead from the front as the Marcelo Bielsa era truly gets underway in Copa América this summer.

The Liverpool man has become known for missing big chances, but that sickness hardly seems to plague him when he dons the national team kit.

Nùñez may just be the most in-form man at the tournament this summer, and Uruguay’s ceiling with him leading the line has yet to be discovered.

Paying the price for petulance

You can’t help but be excited about a young generation of burgeoning stars coming through the United States’ ranks, but Gregg Berhalter’s side had to learn some uncomfortable lessons against Panama Thursday evening.

The talk of the town was how all eyes would be on a matchday three showdown with Uruguay after comfortable wins against Bolivia and Panama, but Timothy Weah and his mates had other plans.

This is not the first time a U.S. player has shown supreme petulance against CONCACAF opposition — Sergiño Dest was famously sent off for a kicking the ball into the stands and talking back to a referee in the Nations League quarter-final in 2023.

After that match, team captain Tim Ream revealed that “there were a lot of choice words” spoken to Dest by some of his teammates. Those words apparently didn’t circulate around the rest of the dressing room.

As a result, the U.S. will now need to pull off a surprise victory against the red-hot aforementioned Uruguay to book their spot in the next round.

Panama can’t be slept on

In each footballing generation, there always seems to be one CONCACAF nation that takes everybody by surprise — up stepped Panama for the current one.

Panama have become that one cliched ‘tough nut to crack’ and they showed exactly why they are deserving of that title against the United States Thursday evening.

It may not be pretty, but Thomas Christiansen battled and fought their way to a famous victory, one that could be the platform they need to sneak into the knockouts.