Five Uruguayans Headline the Sudamericana Quarterfinal Team of the Week

Five sky blue jerseys on a single team of the week. That's how emphatic Uruguay's mark was on the ideal lineup chosen by CONMEBOL Sudamericana 2026 following the second legs of the quarterfinals, a weekend in which Montevideo City Torque, Boca Juniors and Vasco da Gama punched their tickets to the semifinals with Uruguayan players front and center.

The standout detail is the trio from Montevideo City Torque: Pablo Siles, Nahuel Da Silva and Salomon Rodriguez were key pieces in the 3-0 rout of Cienciano, a result that let the Ciudadano side flip the tie and reach the semifinals of an international tournament for the first time in its history. Rodriguez came through with a brace, and Da Silva scored the goal that sealed the qualification. That's no small feat for a club that was writing a new chapter in its continental history.

On the other side of the Rio de la Plata, in Brazil, two more Uruguayans also earned a spot on that ideal lineup. Leandro Lozano scored a goal that proved decisive in sending Boca Juniors into the final four of the tournament: it came in the 1-1 draw against Sao Paulo, played at the Morumbi stadium, a result that was enough for the Xeneize side to reach the semifinals.

And in Rio de Janeiro, Alan Saldivia turned in a complete performance for Vasco da Gama: he handed out an assist and defended solidly during the 2-0 win over Independiente Santa Fe, a result that put the Rio side into the tournament's next round.

A Lineup Split Between Three Teams

The team of the week wasn't limited to Uruguayans: Atletico Mineiro contributed four names (Gabriel Delfim, Tomas Cuello, Bernard and Reinier), while Boca added Facundo Herrera as well, and Vasco rounded out its share with Bruno Duarte. Even so, the sky blue contingent ended up being the largest of all, with representatives from three different clubs already looking ahead to the semifinals.

What stands out is that none of the five Uruguayans share a club beyond the Montevideo City Torque trio, confirming that the individual level shown in this quarterfinal round wasn't an isolated coincidence, but a trend that repeated itself across different fields and against different opponents.