Uruguay had Luis Suarez to thank at the Copa America, and Darwin Nunez’s reaction to his dramatic stoppage-time equalizer told you everything you need to know.
Canada appeared to be on the verge of winning the third-place playoff in North Carolina after goals from Ismael Kone and Jonathan David had put them 2-1 up
Suarez though struck in the second minute of stoppage time to bring Uruguay level, and take the game to a penalty shootout.
The former Liverpool striker then scored his effort from the spot to make it 4-3 after Kone’s miss, with Alphonso Davies then striking the crossbar to hand the victory to Uruguay.
Although it wasn’t the final that Marcelo Bielsa’s side would have hoped to have been in, the victory was nevertheless cause for celebration, especially for Suarez and Nunez.
Nunez had started the game just days after being involved in the ugly brawl following the semi-final defeat to Colombia
Nunez is now left waiting to see whether he will be punished for his part in the fight, with the Liverpool star one of 11 players under investigation.
He was replaced at half-time by Suarez, with the 37-year-old making potentially his final appearance for his country
The former Red took home the man of the match award as he saved his side from ending the tournament with another defeat.
despite now being on the bench, Nunez was one of the first to celebrate with Suarez after the equalizer in what was quite a poignant moment for the pair.
Nunez looks set to be the man tasked with taking on Suarez’s mantel as his country’s talisman
The love for Suarez from the Uruguay players was clear to see as he was lifted up by his teammates at full-time.
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