Key events
A match between Uruguay and Brazil recalls one specific competition: the Maracanazo. If you don’t know the final match of the 1950 World Cup, this is a great story.
The winners of this match will play Colombia in the semi-finalsThey beat Panama 5-0 in their quarter-final, with James Rodriguez again to the fore.
Brazilian team news: Endrick starts
Dorival Junior makes two changes to the team that drew with Colombia. Endrick, the world’s best 17-year-old, replaces the suspended Vinicius Junior and Guilherme Arana is preferred to Wendell at left-back.
BRAZIL ESCALADO! 🇧🇷🔥
Select Brasileira will be on the eve of Select Uruguay at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas from 22:00 (Brasilia season), where they will play the semi-final of the Copa América 2024. It’s emotional, it’s Brazil!
VAAAAAAAAAAAMOOOOOO 💛💚💛💚 #ThisIsBrazil… photo.twitter.com/kXm1j7EUQx
— CBF Football (@CBF_Futebol) July 7, 2024
Uruguay team news
No surprises here: Marcelo Bielsa remains with the team that beat the USA 1-0.
Rob will be there shortly. In the meantime, here’s a quick preview of tonight’s game from Reuters:
Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa has urged his team to be determined to gain the upper hand in the match against Brazil.
Uruguay, who won all three group games and scored eight goals to top Group C, are hoping to reach the semi-finals, with the coach hoping to use his attacking, high-pressing style against the Brazilians.
“Normally I focus on the pitch we are playing on, how we get the ball back, whether we are threatening and how we are threatening, and whether the way we build the attack is the style I want the team to play,” Bielsa told a news conference on Friday.
The coach also said that the absence of the suspended Vinicius Jr. from the Brazil national team will not be a factor in their strategy and described him as the best winger in the world.
“Personally, I don’t think his absence will affect us. Brazil is a country with a lot of wingers on both sides of the pitch at the moment, and they play in big teams all over the world. Brazil’s replacement, Endrick, will not be easy to neutralize in the absence of Vinicius.”
Bielsa, who missed the 1-0 win over the United States after being suspended by Conmebol, added that his absence was irrelevant as their opponents only threatened in the final 10 minutes: “If I had been on the pitch the result would not have been better.”