Copa America: 15 surprises so far

2. Uruguay falls flat

Even more surprising than Brazil’s early exit was a terrible showing from Uruguay, which really struggled in its first two games to eliminate any chance of getting out of Group C.

While the Copa America wasn’t necessarily its top priority, Uruguay brought most of its A squad to the Centenario and had high hopes of a deep run, if not a title. While Luis Suarez’s injury didn’t help matters, there was still plenty of world-class talent on the roster, including the likes of Edinson Cavani, Jose Gimenez and Diego Godin.

La Celeste opened the Centenario against Mexico in arguably the most anticipated match of the group stage. Instead of providing a thrilling match, Uruguay conceded an own goal three minutes in, went down to ten men on Matias Vecino’s second yellow, and wound up losing 3-1.

Things would get even worse in the next game, as Uruguay was upset 1-0 at the hands of heavy underdog Venezuela. Cavani received plenty of service but could not find the back of the net, and Salomon Rondon’s 36th minute goal ended La Celeste’s campaign early.

Uruguay would salvage something from the tournament with a 3-0 win over Jamaica in a meaningless game for both teams. Most expected Uruguay to advance to the quarterfinals from a group that included Venezuela and Jamaica, but the biggest shock came from just how poor La Celeste looked in the opening two games.

The performance has left questions about head coach Oscar Tabarez’s job security, and shows just how much the team needs Suarez. With how much talent was on the roster, Uruguay is the single most disappointing team of the Centenario.

Next: 1. Venezuela surprises in the group stage