Bielsa’s team tied 2-2 against Cape Verde and will have to beat Spain if they want to advance in the World Cup
The Uruguayan national team faced Cape Verde on June 21 and tied 2-2—the team’s second draw against opponents they should have beaten, such as Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia—and now they face Spain on the final matchday of the group stage.
The match kicks off
From the start, Uruguay made changes to its starting lineup compared to the previous match. Darwin did not start; Canobbio took his place, and Sanabria replaced Viña. Both players were substitutes brought in by the coach at the start of the second half of their match against Saudi Arabia.
Cape Verde’s goal came on a long-range free kick that sailed through a wall that had spread apart; the goalkeeper was too slow to react and was unable to stop Lenini’s shot, which marked Cape Verde’s first goal in the sport’s top competition.
Luck would smile on Uruguay again in the 44th minute when a ball struck the post and fell right to Maximiliano Araújo, who tapped it into the back of the net to tie the score at 1-1.
In the 45+6′ minute, a cross that Maximiliano Araújo—one of the few standout players on the Uruguayan national team—barely touched found its way to Cannobio, who shot from point-blank range, sent the ball into the net, and temporarily put his team ahead.
Second Half
In the second half, the pace of the game slowed considerably. In the 61st minute, an inexplicable play by Uruguay—in which a defender played a half-hearted pass and the goalkeeper came out to collect the ball—did not go as planned. Helio Varela snatched the ball, dribbled past Muslera, and tied the score at 2-2.
In the 68th minute, a gross error by the famous Vozinha nearly allowed Uruguay to take a 3-2 lead, but the goal was ruled offside, and Uruguay had to fight back once again.
In the 70th minute, De la Cruz and Darwin Núñez entered the game and made an impact, creating a host of chances and penetrating Cape Verde’s defense, but they were unable to score the winning goal.
Now Uruguay must face Spain and draw to see if they can advance as the third-place team, or beat a favorite like Spain to advance as the group’s second-place or first-place team, depending on the other results.
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