SANTIAGO, Chile — In the buildup to Uruguay's quarterfinal match against Chile, Oscar Tabarez and the Uruguayan fans were concerned that Edinson Cavani might not play. Now, they'll wish he hadn't.
The striker received his marching orders in the 63rd minute of a tense contest that saw Chile win 1-0 and move on to the final four of the Copa America. Cavani's off-the-field issues over the past few days, with his father involved in a car crash, meant his focus may not have been totally on the job at hand. But the petulant nature of his exit from this tournament leaves him with little defense.
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After Cavani prevented Chile from quickly taking a free kick, he continued to bicker with La Roja defenders, and once play restarted offered a playful slap to Gonzalo Jara's cheek.
Was he provoked by Jara? Absolutely. Replays show Jara poking Cavani in the rear as the forward walked away.
And the Oscar goes tooooooo https://t.co/pR6fucGlP6
— BuzzFeed Sports (@BuzzFeedSports) June 25, 2015But the reaction was the behavior of a kid in the schoolyard, dead set on getting someone back, rather than that of a 50 million euro player.
His first yellow may have been even more foolish. After fouling Arturo Vidal, Cavani confronted the assistant referee. Uruguay needed the forward but his attitude prohibited him from being a factor. If he had been as aggressive in attack, rather than floating aimlessly, always on the periphery of the action, his team may have fared better. As it was, he ended the night without a shot on goal.
And the way Uruguay was set up and was containing the host, he could've played the spoiler to Chile's dream of winning the tournament. Up until the 63rd minute, La Celeste had run Tabarez's game plan to perfection. Chile poured forward but couldn't find the pass to penetrate a well-drilled back line. Then his dismissal turned the tide and, ultimately, the entire team surrendered all discipline in a chaotic closing spell that also saw Jorge Fucile see red for a reckless lunge on Alexis Sanchez.
There was no Luis Suarez at this tournament. Cavani needed to be the star man. He has begged for the limelight, the limelight that Zlatan Ibrahimovic takes from him at the club level and is usually reserved for Suarez at national team level.
Instead, he leaves a tournament in which he had to be the focal point of Uruguay's attack with 333 minutes played and not a goal to his name. He is thought to be a transfer target for top Euopean clubs this summer, but Paris Saint-Germain can begin reassessing his valuation because, on this evidence, he is not the player many believe him to be.
