Copa America | Uruguay must rebuild its defense for the semi-final: Bielsa’s problem to play against the Colombian National Team

The party that the Uruguay national team won on penalties Brazil in the quarter-finals of the Copa America 2024 could come at a high cost ahead of the semi-final against Colombia on Wednesday at 7pm in Charlotte.

On the one hand, Uruguay will have a mandatory leave and it is that of Nahitan Nandez, who was sent off against Brazil on Saturday in the 72nd minute.

The right back committed a very hard foul against Rodrygo and the Argentine referee Dario Herrera initially showed him a yellow card. However, the VAR made him reconsider and after the review, the referee decided to change his decision to a red card.

That’s not all –in principle– in terms of absences, since there are two footballers who left the field of play with an unconscious feeling and set off all the alarms in the sky-blue delegation.

Ronald Araújo He was lying on the ground holding the back of his right leg and immediately, everyone asked for a change. To the field Jose Maria Gimenez. Also, for the second half, Matias Vineyard He did not come out to play and Sebastián Cáceres came in his place, which means there is one more possible absence for a key area: defense.

At a press conference, Marcelo Bielsa He was very clear: “Viña’s injury was not a muscle injury but rather a muscle weakness in the posterior thigh.” Yesterday, the results of Araújo’s tests were expected to determine the severity of the muscle injury, as Bielsa himself explained.

Bielsa’s options

Taking into account the changes against Brazilfirst of all, the natural substitute for Nahitan Nandez It seems to be Guillermo Varela, since another probable full-back is Ronald Araujo, who was injured.

And it was precisely because of him that he entered Jose Maria Gimenez, who seems to be a sure thing in central defense, just like Sebastián Cáceres, who came in for Matías Viña and occupied a position as center back, since Mathías Olivera moved to left back.

Also, in case neither Araújo neither Vineyard come to the match against Colombiaother alternatives -already in less consideration- are those of defender Nicolás Marichal -who has not yet played any minutes in the Copa América- and left back Lucas Olaza, who came on in the 5-0 win over Bolivia in the 83rd minute.

The match that the Uruguayan national team won on penalties against Brazil in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Copa América could have a high cost in view of the semifinal against Colombia, on Wednesday at 7 pm, in Charlotte.

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With information from the El País newspaper of Uruguay (GDA).