Uruguay vs Colombia, Copa America 2024: Key battles to look out for in URU v COL semifinal

Uruguay and Colombia play each other in a Copa America 2024 semifinal on Wednesday at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Both sides, apart from Argentina which will face the winner of this match in the final, have been dubbed as some of the favourites to lift the trophy this year.

The South American teams have talent aplenty and possess players that can influence the game with a single moment. Here are some key battles on the pitch that can significantly impact the outcome of this semifinal between Uruguay and Colombia:

Guillermo Varela-Luis Diaz

Right-back Guillermo Varela will mostly likely be thronged into action as a replacement for teammate Nahitan Nandez, who will be missing the semifinal match due to a red card. Varela’s job, if he starts, will especially be challenging when he is up against Luis Diaz on that left flank, a favourite for the Colombian to run up and down in.

Diaz has been having a sub-par display at the ongoing tournament. Despite having two goals in his name, the speedster hasn’t really shown off his dribbling chops as usually seen when he dons a Liverpool shirt.

However, with a rusty Varela against him, who barely played 12 minutes against Brazil when he was brought on for Facundo Pellistri, Diaz will have a better chance to run in behind enemy lines and get more involved in the game.

Davinson Sanchez-Darwin Nunez

While Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez has scored two goals and not really hit form in this tournament, he’ll find it harder to do so up against an obstinate Davinson Sanchez -- an important cog in Colombia’s backline machine.

Sanchez is known to stick to his man like a piece of felt to velcro. Without giving much time to his opponent to get to the ball, the towering centre-back will clear his lines with haste and composure.

This is something Nunez will have to keep in mind while facing Sanchez and to make sure he takes his shot quickly without taking too many touches on the ball.

Federico Valverde-James Rodriguez

The 2014 World Cup Golden Boot winner in James Rodriguez has once again found his rhythm in Colombian colours after he leads the assists charts with five in the 2024 Copa America.

However, his creativity with the ball might find an obstacle in Uruguay’s Federico Valverde, who Marcelo Bielsa might give the responsibility to mark Rodriguez throughout the match.