Agence France-Presse
Philadelphia, June 10: Uruguay were sent crashing out of the Copa America Centenario as Venezuela and Mexico marched into the quarterfinals Thursday.
Uruguay, the record 15-time Copa America champions, were eliminated in the group phase for the first time since 1997 after slumping to a shock 0-1 loss to Venezuela here.
That result combined with Mexico’s 2-0 Group C win over Jamaica in Pasadena left the 2011 champions struggling to digest a humiliating early exit.
“We never found the game we wanted and that cost us,” Uruguay’s revered coach Oscar Tabarez said, adding that the ill-fated campaign should serve as a warning to his team as they now look ahead to the resumption of 2018 World Cup qualifiers.
Uruguay’s defeat also capped a miserable tournament for Barcelona superstar Luis Suarez. Nursing a hamstring injury since he joined the squad, Suarez has so far not played a single minute. Tabarez defended his decision not to name Suarez in the squad. “The player is not fit to play. I will not select a player who is not 100 per cent,” the manager asserted.
Venezuela’s winner came on 36 minutes, when midfielder Alejandro Guerra cleverly spotted Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera off his line. He unleashed a long-range effort from near the half-way line which the back-pedalling Muslera could only parry onto the bar before Salomon Rondon bundled in the rebound from close range.
Venezuela will now face Mexico in their final first round game to determine who finishes top of Group C.
Mexico, who had beaten Uruguay 3-1 in their opening game, meanwhile proved too powerful for Caribbean minnows Jamaica in front of an 83,263 crowd at the Pasadena Rose Bowl Stadium in California. They scored Javier Hernandez (2) and substitute Oribe Peralta.