Liverpool players are enjoying their time out in the United States as part of this year’s Copa America.
While the European Championship has been a bit of a struggle for several Liverpool stars, things have been different in the US.
Alexis Mac Allister and Argentina were perfect in the group stages, while Luis Diaz’s Colombia are guaranteed to progress after winning two from two.
Brazil have been a little shaky with Alisson Becker between the sticks, but the Selecao are still more than likely to progress to the quarter-finals, too.
And then there’s Darwin Nunez. The Liverpool No.9 has arguably been the best of the lot. After scoring twice and leading Uruguay to a pair of wins, Nunez was at it again while facing the hosts on Tuesday morning.
Uruguayan press give Darwin Nunez vs USA verdict
There was some worry over Nunez heading into this summer’s tournament with his country. The 25-year-old had a poor end to the season for Liverpool.
And although it has already been reported that Nunez is likely to stay with the Reds for next season, the concern over his form has been legitimate.
But when the former Benfica man pulls on the shirt of his country he looks a completely different player.
Up until Tuesday, Nunez had scored in each of his last seven appearances for Uruguay. Needless to say, that’s a far better record than anything he’s ever served up at Anfield.
READ MORE: Everything to know on Darwin Nunez’s life outside of football
Unfortunately, that run did come to an end against the USA. Nunez was not able to get on the scoresheet during his team’s 1-0 win; a victory that secured their passage to the quarter-finals as group winners.
Nevertheless, according to La Diaria, the Liverpool striker was still a ‘beast’ during the match. Though he didn’t score, they claim that Nunez ‘contributed a lot.’
El Observador also praise Darwin for some ‘spectacular’ play during the early stages of the game. Having ‘demanded a lot’ from the USA centre-backs, Nunez then seemingly slowed down having received a bang on the head after half an hour.
The Uruguayan did manage to feature for almost the whole game, though. El Observador report that he ‘came close to scoring’ before being booked for a ‘very hard foul.’
Darwin Nunez set for Liverpool showdown at Copa America
It has so far been an exceptional tournament for Uruguay under Marcelo Bielsa. They’ll now have their eyes on lifting the trophy for the first time since 2011.
There’s still a long way to go before that can happen, though, and it’s fair to say that the quarter-finals have the potential to really test them.
Nunez and Uruguay will face whoever finishes second in Group D, which contains both Colombia and Brazil.
The two face off on Wednesday morning and If Diaz and co win or draw, they’ll avoid Uruguay and instead face Panama. Should Brazil get the victory, it will be Alisson and his teammates who top the group instead.
Either way, Nunez is highly likely to come up against a Liverpool colleague in both the quarter and semi-final in America.
If he can keep up the form he’s showing so far, Darwin will relish those challenges.
