Uruguay team: Darwin Nunez is increasingly dangerous with the spirit of never giving up

Uruguay cruised to a 3-1 win over Panama in their opening match at the 2024 Copa America with all eyes on Darwin Nunez, who missed a few good chances but was determined not to give up and was eventually rewarded with a goal.

Nunez’s performance not only highlighted the Uruguayan’s growing confidence but also sent a clear signal to Arne Slot, Liverpool’s new head coach, about the potential impact the striker could have at Anfield.

Never give up

As happened many times in the 2023-24 season with Liverpool, Nunez made many people shake their heads in disappointment when he missed a number of chances in Uruguay’s match against Panama. However, Nunez played hard until the last minute and became the author of the goal to double the gap for Uruguay.

After the match, Nunez repeated a phrase that, although in Spanish, will be familiar to any Liverpool fan: “Never give up.” It was the slogan printed on Salah’s shirt during Liverpool’s 2019 Champions League semi-final second leg against Barcelona at Anfield.

Salah missed the game through injury but Anfield still saw one of its greatest ever games as Wijnaldum and Origi scored twice each to help Liverpool come back from a goal down to bҽat Barca. Salah was pictured celebrating on the pitch afterwards and the slogan on his shirt symbolised Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp as they won their sixth European Cup/Champions League after the final against Tottenham in Madrid.

“In the end, I will always miss the goal, I will miss five or 10 but I will try 11 times,” Nunez told El Pais Uruguay after the match. “That’s what a striker has to do, when he misses five, he has to keep trying and never give up because otherwise in the end it will be nothing.”

It was Nunez’s fifth goal in just six international appearances for Marcelo Bielsa’s side. Nunez has now scored 12 goals in 24 appearances for Uruguay and his international career really took off under the former Leeds boss. The former Benfica striker scored against both Brazil and Argentina in 2026 World Cup qualifiers and added a hat-trick in the pre-Copa America warm-up against Mexico.

Bielsa has ordered Nunez to play closer to goal, taking up positions in the box so he can take chances from close range, and the Argentine has found a way to bring out perhaps the best form of Darwin’s career to date.

Nunez is in very good form for the Uruguay national team.

Nunez ended last season in poor form for Liverpool, losing his starting place to Cody Gakpo and facing heavy criticism on social media. There has been uncertainty over the Uruguayan’s future with Barcelona interested but it appears Nunez will remain at Liverpool, where he is contracted until 2028.

Either way, Nunez’s transformation under Bielsa seems to have prepared him well for the challenges ahead. With Jurgen Klopp’s departure, Slot is faced with the task of effectively integrating Nunez into Liverpool’s strategy. Nunez’s current form could be the foundation for his success.

Liverpool are in a transitional phase and Nunez’s adaptability will be crucial. Slot’s tactics will likely rely on Nunez’s agility and finishing skills to sharpen Liverpool’s at𝔱𝔞ck. Nunez is a striker who is “sharp, dangerous and puts a lot of pressure on defenders”, traits that Slot will likely use to enhance the team’s dynamism.

Recent performances have shown that Nunez is ready to take on more responsibility. “I think in the second half they were better than us for the first 15, 20 minutes, we struggled a little bit, but then we made the right decisions and I think we deserved to win,” Nunez said after Uruguay’s win over Panama. The comments reflect Nunez’s growing maturity and understanding of the game at a higher level. For Slot, capitalising on Nunez’s recent form could be key to his first season at Anfield. With the right combination of skill, tactical awareness and guidance from Slot, Nunez could be the attacking solution Liverpool have been looking for.