Seattle Sounders: Nicolas Lodeiro shines for Uruguay in Copa America opener

Uruguay and Seattle Sounders star Nicolas Lodeiro was influential in La Celeste’s victory over Ecuador in their opening group game of the 2019 Copa America.

Nicolas Lodeiro has been a key player for the Seattle Sounders ever since he made the move to MLS from Boca Juniors in 2016. His immediate impact saw the Rave Green take the MLS Cup title in 2016, just five months after moving to the club.

He has continued to be a constant threat for Seattle, with a further 15 goals and 28 assists over the next two seasons. This year, he has started 14 of their 16 league games, with two goals and eight assists already, his creativity crucial to the Sounders attack.

Lodeiro was unsurprisingly chosen for the Copa America by La Celeste manager Óscar Tabárez, and he has had an instant impact, scoring just six minutes into his country’s first match at the tournament.

The midfielder took a cross-field pass in from Luis Suarez, before taking the ball aerially past two Ecuadorian defenders. He then fired a shot into the bottom corner on the half-volley to give Uruguay the lead. They would go on to comfortably win 4-0.

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They have now put themselves in a strong position to top Group C, but they will face competition from Chile, who also won 4-0 against Japan on the opening day.

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Lodeiro will be looking to maintain his good form, a run that seems to have been going for around three years now. The 30-year-old is in the prime of his career and this stint with Uruguay at the Copa can only help for his confidence and performances.

The crucial aspect for the Seattle Sounders is to survive in the absence of the designated player. He is arguably the Sounders most influential player, integral to every phase of the game, playing in a central attacking midfield position, linking the attack and the defense. Even with the international break providing some rest bite, the Sounders must try and not lose too much ground in the standings while they are dealing with Lodeiro’s absence. Meanwhile, if Lodeiro continues his current hot streak, his return to Seattle after the Copa America is exceptionally exciting for a Sounders team that is known for their late-season surges.

If Lodeiro is able to then replicate this form for the Rave Green on his return to MLS, the Sounders could be on for another run at the trophy.