Jamaica Struggle Shows Uruguay Lacking Ideas Without Luis Suarez

Cristian Rodriguez's scrappy goal was a fair way for this game to be settled. It lacked invention, it lacked guile and it certainly lacked beauty, but it meant that Uruguay won a game they just about deserved to.

Without the magnificent Luis Suarez up front—still banned from international fixtures after biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup—Uruguay looked toothless.

Edinson Cavani has improved for Paris Saint-Germain this season, after a disappointing year before that, but even in his favourited central position, he failed to make much of an impact.

His best chance came when Nicolas Lodeiro lofted the ball into the box, and it was hooked back across for Cavani. The striker swivelled and fired a strike wide of the top-right corner.

It wasn't the easiest chance, but he should have hit the target, at least testing Jamaican goalkeeper Duwayne Kerr.

Luis Hidalgo/Associated Press

Cavani also thought he should have had a penalty when Michael Hector tugged him back, but referee Jose Argote was not impressed.

In fact, Cavani raised more eyebrows with his foolish comment about Jamaica being an African team, than with anything he managed to achieve on the pitch.

Even Atletico Madrid's centre-backs Diego Godin and Jose Gimenez, so solid for their club, seemed to be caught adrift in the first half when Darren Mattocks flew through the middle of them. The Vancouver Whitecaps forward made a hash of his strike, though, and Godin got back to hack it away. It was a golden chance for Jamaica and if they had taken it, Uruguay would only have had themselves to blame.

Gimenez at least made amends, when he nodded Lodeiro's ball down in the box for Rodriguez, or "Cebolla" to poke home.

The club-less, former Atletico Madrid wide man's strike was so very different from the wonderful goals Suarez scored last summer and Diego Forlan managed in World Cup 2010.

Natacha Pisarenko/Associated Press

Michael Sohn/Associated Press

Uruguay are the most successful nation in the competition's history and the current trophy holders. If they are to defend their trophy, they need to come up with a more creative formula, and quickly.

Next up is Argentina, who have Lionel Messi playing at his very best.

The No. 10 was in spectacular form against Paraguay, even if his side conspired to throw away a two-goal lead.

Tata Martino will be working hard to ensure the Albiceleste do no such thing next time out, and Oscar Tabarez will have to find not only a way to defend against the powerful strikeforce, but also make more chances themselves.

Ricardo Mazalan/Associated Press

Tabarez admitted after the game that his side needed a rapid improvement. He said, per the Copa America website:

"

We were not quite there in terms of our delivery, without speaking about particular players. But really, no team ever turns up for the first game in perfect condition, and for that reason I hope that we will improve as the tournament goes on.

You cannot draw conclusions on a match-by-match basis, but we need to improve quickly for the Copa. There are things that will be considered both for this competition and for the World Cup qualifiers.

"

On another day, Jamaica could have grabbed a point against Uruguay, with Lance Laing impressing in the final quarter of the game, creating good opportunities for Giles Barnes and Deshorn Brown, before firing a volley over himself.