Uruguay crash out of another World Cup group stage as Spain secure top spot
Uruguay have exited the World Cup at the group stage in back-to-back tournaments for the first time after defeat to Spain in Guadalajara.The two-time champions managed by Marcelo Bielsa lost 1-0 to Spain at Estadio Akron in a game in which their starting goalkeeper was substituted at half-time, and a Uruguay player was sent off late on before confronting the referee.
The eventual winner for the European champions Spain came from Alex Baena in the 42nd minute, squeezing through the grasp of Uruguay’s experienced goalkeeper Fernando Muslera. Bielsa’s side suffered a double blow as midfielder Manuel Ugarte had to be taken off on a stretcher before half-time with an apparent injury.
After the break, Muslera was replaced by Sergio Rochet. Bielsa later told Uruguayan TV that Muslera had made the decision himself. Bielsa also took off his captain Federico Valverde in the 57th minute, sparking anger from the Real Madrid midfielder.Ferran Torres missed a huge chance to confirm Spain’s victory in the 86th minute when he hit the crossbar after being sent through on goal. A late penalty appeal on Uruguay’s Matias Vinas was waved away. Agustin Conobbio also saw red in stoppage time for flying in on Pau Cubarsi, then pulled referee Ismail Elfath’s shirt as he protested the decision.“I was unable to harness the potential of Uruguay and its players,” Bielsa said in the immediate aftermath of the exit.The win means Luis de la Fuente’s side progress to a round of 32 tie against Austria or Algeria in Los Angeles on Tuesday.Jacob Whitehead and Jack Lang analyse the key talking points.What does this mean for the round of 32?As winners of group H, Spain will play their round of 32 game in Los Angeles on July 2 against the runner-up in Group J, which at present is Austria, who are tied on three points with Algeria and can cement that place by winning or drawing when the two teams play on Saturday.Cape Verde will face Lionel Messi’s Argentina after finishing as Group H runners-up. That game will take place in Miami on July 3.Uruguay finished third but have only two points, so will not be one of the best-placed third-placed teams and are eliminated.Saudi Arabia, hosts of the 2034 World Cup, ended their campaign bottom of the group.Why did Bielsa replace Muslera at half-time?Muslera is one of Uruguay’s modern greats.This was his 19th World Cup game; no one else from his country has played more. He was, at his peak, a superb goalkeeper. His status as a brilliant servant to La Celeste was assured long before this tournament.Which is good, because he has had a summer to forget. Against Saudi Arabia, he had a rush of blood to the head and charged out from goal to claim a loose ball. He didn’t, Saudi Arabia scored, and Uruguay were given a mountain to climb.Here, Muslera was at fault for Baena’s goal shortly before half-time.In his defence, the ball did jump up slightly. It may have hit a divot on the six-yard line, where goalkeepers often shape the turf for goal kicks. Still, it was a slight deviation rather than anything extreme. Muslera, at his best, would have saved it easily. It made him the first goalkeeper to make three errors leading to an opposition goal at one World Cup.His face after the ball crept into the next was one of horror and embarrassment. Then, when Uruguay players returned to the field after the half-time break, Muslera was not among them. It appeared Bielsa had seen enough and decided it was time for Sergio Rochet to have a go between the posts, but after the game he told Uruguayan TV: “The Muslera change was not my decision, it was Fernando.”It was a reminder that football can be a cruel game. Other players of Muslera’s age — such as Mexico’s Guillermo Ochoa — have enjoyed dignified send-offs. Muslera deserves credit for breaking back into the Uruguay team before this World Cup, but his memories of the tournament will be overwhelmingly negative.Jack LangWhy Baena’s goal had extra significance for himThree years ago, Baena and Valverde had a confrontation following a Real Madrid home defeat to Villarreal.Baena, aged 21 at the time, was allegedly punched by the Madrid and Uruguay midfielder — a case which went all the way to court before being dismissed by magistrates. Baena was seen after that game with a bruised and swollen cheekbone.“Personally, it was a before and after moment,” Baena told Cadena Cope radio station this week. “It was a moment in which I almost left football for everything that happened to me.”Now at Madrid’s cross-city rivals Atletico Madrid, Baena endured a difficult season at the Metropolitano — but will surely have enjoyed this goal. As much as Muslera was responsible for the shot finding the net, it sent Valverde’s Uruguay out of the World Cup.
(Pablo Garcia/Soccrates/Getty Images)There is other significance for Baena too, of course. Going into the tournament, the hope was that Spain would have Nico Williams to call upon, superb in Germany two years ago. However, the Athletic Club winger has failed to reach his top level as he recovers from a hamstring injury, though he remains available for selection.Baena took his chance after Gavi failed to shine in a left-wing role, starting and linking well in Spain’s 5-0 win against Saudi Arabia. Uruguay was another step up — and with a little luck, he may have inked his name into Luis de la Fuente’s first-choice side for the knockout games.Jacob WhiteheadDo Spain look like World Cup contenders?Given the frustration of their first match in Group H, Spain should be very happy with the look of the final table.They bounced back from that goalless draw with Cape Verde with an easy win against Saudi Arabia and, here, put in a thoroughly professional performance against desperate opponents.The defence, protected by Rodri, has been incredibly solid. Spain are keeping possession very well, setting the rhythm of matches and — importantly given the conditions in many games — preserving energy. There is also, clearly, room for improvement: Lamine Yamal was sparky here but still working his way back to full fitness, still yet to dominate a game in this competition. When he does, this team will take some stopping.The draw is opening up in front of them, too. They will travel to Los Angeles for the last 32, with either Austria or Algeria lying in wait. Win that — as they will expect to — and possible opponents in the round of 16 include Portugal, Colombia and Croatia. After that, a quarter-final in Seattle against the United States or Egypt looks likely.Easy? Absolutely not — and there will be worries over how they failed to take chances to truly decide this game late on. But with some of their rivals facing tougher tests, Spain should be feeling optimistic about the rest of the World Cup.Jack LangHow big is another group-stage exit for Uruguay?Going into this World Cup, Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) president Ignacio Alonso set clear expectations.“Uruguay have to aspire to be in the world’s top 10,” Alonso said. “Therefore, we have to reach the quarter-finals.” He appointed a big-name coach in Bielsa to get them there. As a collective, Uruguay got nowhere near.Two draws and a defeat left them bottom of Group H — and though the European champions were always a tough ask to beat here, qualification should have been guaranteed given their other opponents were Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde.Instead, this is the first-ever time that Uruguay have failed to make the knockout stages for two tournaments in a row for which they have qualified.Ultimately, it was draws in their first two matches that truly doomed Bielsa’s side — who did not appear to be a cohesive unit all tournament.The withdrawal of furious captain Valverde on 57 minutes was a glimpse into the mood of the camp, with Bielsa’s demanding management style publicly criticised by several former players, including the recently retired Luis Suarez.With something of a transitional squad, this looks set to be a difficult upcoming period for Uruguay. Bielsa will leave after the World Cup, and while the likes of Valverde, Darwin Nunez, Rodrigo Bentancur and Ronald Araujo all have more tournaments in them, it is a concern that none of their 2023 Under-20 world champions have made it through to the senior side.Despite being a country of just 3.4million, the demands on Uruguay’s national team are sky-high. As the biggest favourite to fall in the group stages of the 2026 World Cup, a reckoning is on its way.Jacob Whitehead
