Mexico 3 Uruguay 1: Rafael Marquez and Hector Herrera settle the score with late goals after Alvaro Pereira’s record-breaking own goal
Humiliating night for injured Luis Suarez's side started when the stadium organisers played the national anthem of Chile
URUGUAY suffered a record-breaking night of embarrassment in the Copa America with their dignity and chances of progression left in tatters.
After the stadium organisers forgot their national anthem, they conceded a fourth minute own-goal and went down to ten men before the interval in a shambolic opening hour.
Captain Diego Godin’s 74th-minute header at the Phoenix stadium appeared to rescue a point for his side from the ashes of a fiery match.
But Rafael Marquez smashed a brilliant effort into the roof of the net with five minutes left.
And Hector Herrera headed home in injury time to cap off a horrendous night for Uruguay.
The tone was set before a ball was even kicked when Oscar Tabarez’s side lined up ready to proudly belt out their national anthem, only for Chile’s theme to ring out over the PA system leaving the stunned players looking sheepish.
And they were lambs to the slaughter after just four minutes when hapless defender Alvaro Pereira scored the fastest own goal in the 100-year-old tournament’s history to give Mexico the lead.
Uruguay were already starting with the disadvantage of having star man Luis Suarez ruled out of the squad with a hamstring injury before they were subjected to the humiliation of mumbling through Chile’s tune.
So it’s probably understandable they conceded so quickly in slapstick style.
Pass-master Marquez hit a gorgeous diagonal ball out wide that Andres Guardado took hold of on the touchline.
The PSV midfielder took a touch out of his talented feet and whipped a brilliant left-footed ball into the box.
Herrera had no right to trouble ponytailed marker Pereira but he panicked under pressure and bundled the ball into his own goal.
Mexico went into the game on the back of eight consecutive cleansheets - their last defeat coming a year back in the 2015 Copa America against Ecuador - and they never looked like conceding early on as they controlled the ebb and flow of the match.
On 25 minutes, however, Guardado was lucky to stay on the pitch based on the decision taken against Jamaica’s Rodolph Austin earlier in the day.
The midfielder was guilty of a late pincer-like tackle on Uruguay midfielder Carlos Sanchez that could have earned him a straight red on current refereeing form. But he escaped with a caution.
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On 30 minutes Uruguay should have been level. Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani – regularly mooted as a £50million striker – looked two-bob as he wasted a one-on-one with Mexico keeper Alfredo Talavera by thundering the ball directly at him.
A season playing second fiddle to Manchester United target Zlatan Ibrahimovic certainly looks to have taken its toll on the formerly formidable forward who struggled all game.
And things got even worse for Tabarez's side seconds from the break when Matias Vecino picked up two needless yellow cards inside 18 minutes to get his marching orders before the half-time oranges.
Javier 'Little Pea' Hernandez should have scored for his national side on 68 minutes when he connected with a fizzing cross from the left.
The former Manchester United man shook off his marker to connect with the delivery but he accidentally took all the pace out of the ball and it rolled into the keeper's arms.
As Uruguay searched for a second they changed the course of the game in an instant.
A promising counter attack was wrecked by Guardado’s poor tackle and he swiftly received his second yellow to even up the numbers.
Sanchez casually chipped the free-kick into the box with an expert bit of swerve and Godin rose highest to thunder home a perfect header.
The relief among the Uruguay players was huge but they undid all Godin’s fine work by shipping another with five minutes remaining.
Woeful defending and a refusal to simply clear the danger of a rather wilting attack left the ball at the feet of Marquez who rifled home.
And the shambolic night was completed when Mexico took full advantage of Uruguay's desperate surges forward.
In a rampant counter-attack Raul Jimenez swooped down the left and crossed for Herrera to head home and add insult to injury time.