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Brazil’s Copa America journey came to a crashing halt on Saturday night after a tense 0-0 draw against Uruguay spiraled into a penalty shootout defeat. The highly anticipated quarter-final lived up to its billing in terms of physicality, with a whopping 41 fouls being called throughout the match. Uruguay’s Nahitan Nandez received his marching orders late in the second half for a reckless tackle on Rodrygo, leaving his team a man down.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Uruguay held firm, forcing the game into a penalty shootout. The lottery of penalties did not favor the Selecao. Eder Militao’s opening penalty was saved by Uruguay’s impressive goalkeeper Sergio Rochet, and things went from bad to worse when Douglas Luiz rattled his attempt off the post.
Uruguay, on the other hand, converted their first three penalties, putting immense pressure on Brazil. Alisson Becker provided a glimmer of hope with a crucial save on José Maria Gimenez’s penalty, but it wasn’t enough. Manuel Ugarte stepped up for Uruguay’s fifth and final penalty, coolly slotting it past Alisson to send La Celeste into the semi-finals.
“It was a very tense match, against a very tough opponent,” said Uruguay’s hero, Sergio Rochet, after the game. “We showed character despite our youth. To finish with penalties and winning, I’m very happy. The country deserves this, and we’re going for more.”
For Brazil’s young brigade, including the highly-rated 17-year-old Endrick who started the match, the defeat leaves a bitter taste. “We want to put Brazil at the top again,” Endrick said. “We’ll keep working hard and prepare for the World Cup qualifiers. We know this is a tough moment, but we hope to have the continued support of all Brazilians.
