Darwin Nunez screams with rage as Liverpool star feels Copa America pressure

Uruguay striker Darwin Nunez missed two golden chances in the first half of the Copa America semi-final against Colombia and could not hide his frustrations.

The Liverpool striker drew away from Colombia’s defense and was one-on-one with goalkeeper Camilo Vargas, but he kept his composure and fired his shot into the bottom left corner in the 22nd minute. Moments later, Nunez crossed again , but he hastened his effort and lifted it over the bar.

Nunez appeared to be in disbelief after the second crucial miss, but minutes earlier he had been screaming in anger after missing a major opportunity. In the first 30 minutes, Nunez took all four of Uruguay’s shots but failed to test Vargas on any occasion.

Nunez entered the semi-final with two goals in four Copa America games for Uruguay and was on a hot streak heading into the tournament. Nunez has scored in seven straight games for Uruguay and has had eight in ten, but his visibly frustrated reaction showed he can feel the pressure of the occasion.

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The Liverpool forward scored in Uruguay’s first two games of the Copa America, securing wins over Panama and Bolivia. He failed to score in a 1-0 win over the United States Men’s National Team, but is still seen as a superior option to Luis Suarez in the eyes of head coach Marcelo Bielsa.

It’s poetic for Liverpool fans as Nunez succeeded Suarez at Anfield and took his place in the national team and has been loved on Merseyside since joining the Premier League club. Nunez arrived from Benfica in a deal worth $107 million in 2022 and has scored 20 goals in 65 Premier League games.

Nunez has the makings of a world-class striker but has been mocked by rival fans for missing big opportunities in the Premier League. The forward is always in the right place at the right time, but sometimes lacks conviction when faced with a major opportunity.

Since his Premier League debut, Nunez has had 192 shots in 65 appearances, with 83 on target. Although 20 of those shots on goal have resulted in a goal, Nunez has missed 47 major chances in the Premier League.

Statistically, Nunez misses a major opportunity every 0.72 games, but he’s also been extremely unlucky. Since arriving in England, no player has hit the back of the net more than Nunez (14).

This bad luck is not expected to continue and fans will be hoping that new Liverpool head coach Arne Slot can get the best out of Nunez next season.