Nunez continues scoring streak as Uruguay make statement win against Bolivia

Uruguay started their Copa América campaign with two consecutive wins for the first time since the early 2000s, securing a spot in the knockout stages for the third tournament in a row after a resounding 5-0 victory over Bolivia at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Despite Darwin Nunez missing an early header opportunity, Uruguay quickly found success with Facundo Pellestri scoring from close range after receiving a pass from Ronald Araujo.

After conceding twice in the first half against the USA, Bolivia faced a similar fate as Nunez redeemed himself with a superb goal from inside the box, extending Marcelo Bielsa's team's lead midway through the first half.

Although Bolivia tried to make a comeback after Nunez missed a couple of chances, they struggled to break through Uruguay's defense.

At the end of the first half, Bolivia failed to score for the fifth consecutive match, while Uruguay's dominance was evident in their lead, maintaining an unbeaten record when ahead at halftime since their loss to Costa Rica in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

In the second half, Bolivia defended as Uruguay controlled possession once again. Fortunately for Antonio Carlos Zago's side,

Uruguay lacked the finishing touch they displayed in the first half, resulting in no shots on target from either team in the final 15 minutes.

However, everything changed in an instant.

Nicolas de la Cruz expertly passed the ball to Maximiliano Araujo, who then scored with a messy finish. Federico Valverde followed suit with a brilliant first-time shot into the bottom corner.

Uruguay scored again when Rodrigo Bentancur easily headed the ball into the net from inside the six-yard box, thanks to a perfect set-piece delivery. This outstanding performance resulted in a five-star rating for the team.

Unfortunately, Bolivia's efforts to achieve a positive outcome against one of South America's most successful national teams were in vain. Uruguay, on the other hand, extended their unbeaten streak to four consecutive matches.

With their 14th consecutive defeat in the competition, La Verde has once again failed to advance past the group stages in nine out of the last 10 Copa América tournaments.

In contrast, Uruguay has successfully progressed nine times in the same number of editions.