Darwin Nunez’s chaotic Copa America scrap belongs in a WWE main event
Watching Copa America from a distance doesn’t do it full justice. Not only do you not see the full array of quality players on show, you also miss out on mounds of chaotic moments that are often more enticing than the football itself.
As football fans, sure the actual football is great and we’ll never tire of a moment of magic such as a baller sticking one top bins, or a majestic piece of skill that leaves a defender looking foolish. But what we’re really here for is drama. We’re here to be entertained. We’re frothing at the mouth for it.
And what makes those moments of magic all the more sweet? When they’re coupled up with drama and chaos so outrageous that it feels like you’ve been transported back to the 1990s and you’re watching peak WWE RAW is WAR. Attitude Era levels of carnage.
The Copa America might be the greatest tournament on the planet for this very reason. Combining some of the world’s best football players and coaches with rampant fans, it almost always delivers a perfect blend of quality and complete insanity, with games and incidents boiling over and the theatrics almost always coming out to play.
We absolutely love it – although Marcelo Bielsa and Uruguay fans would be forgiven for perhaps not seeing the funny side of this one as they lost 1-0 to Colombia and crashed out in the semi-final.
Colombian players were reduced to tears and fans flocked onto the pitch and bled into different areas of the stands in North Carolina after Jefferson Lerma won it for Los Cafeteros, despite them playing a large chunk of the game with 10 men.
Darwin Nunez led the line for Uruguay but spurned several key chances in the first half, before Luis Suarez came on after the break and came as close as striking the post, tensions boiling over that bit more with every effort that didn’t end up levelling the game.
As Colombia hung on, their fans revelled and basked in the ambience of Uruguayan heartbreak. That emotion spilled over, though, and unfortunately mixed with the very raw emotion of Uruguayan heartbreak.
Nunez has shown several times before now that he can be a bit of a loose cannon, thus when tensions flared and shoving matches kicked off after the final whistle, you just knew they were speaking to him like the Green Goblin mask spoke to Norman Osborn in Spiderman.
And unfortunately, Nunez listens to the mask. Almost always.
A closer look at what happened between Darwin Nunez and Colombia fans. 🇨🇴🇺🇾 pic.twitter.com/IPJWs2xSK5
— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) July 11, 2024
It’s difficult to make complete sense of what’s going on, but what is abundantly clear is the handsome yet rather mad bastard that is Nunez getting stuck into the thick of it, ready to scrap anyone who dares walk his path with his fists raised like a character on a Tekken loading screen.
That slapstick, arcade-like fighting stance deserves its flowers.
There is an initial humour to it, knowing it’s Nunez and that he thrives on chaos. But the reality is unfortunately more disturbing.
With tensions flaring, there is no sign of any real security or police presence to stop a riot from breaking out or – crucially – protecting two very emotionally charged groups and ensuring some very necessary separation.
Reports state that the striker was concerned for his family’s welfare in the stands after the game, which again raises extremely important questions surrounding the organisation and security at the tournament being held throughout North America.
What cannot be denied, though, is Nunez’s commitment to being football’s ultimate loose cannon. It really is no-holds-barred with this lad.
Is he the most reliable finisher? Not right now. Will he ever be? Probably not at this point. But is there anyone else in the game as entertaining as him, who could seamlessly transition into WWE and carry the company as world champion without changing a thing about himself? Absolutely not and that says it all.
Colombia head into a dreamy final with Argentina as Bielsa gets lost in Excel spreadsheets for the next few months, but there are key takeaways from this highly charged semi-final.
The United States must learn from poor organisation and do more to ensure that tensions don’t boil over like this, in order to keep everybody safe. And – of course – Nunez needs a run in sports entertainment immediately. Make it happen.