Uruguay is out of the World Cup after losing 1-0 to Spain following another mistake made by Marcelo Bielsa.
Alex Baena’s goal late in the first half decided the game for Guadalajara as veteran goalkeeper Fernando Muslera was unable to push the ball into his net. Bielsa brought on Muslera at half-time as Uruguay’s poor campaign began.
Fede Valverde, the Real Madrid midfielder and Uruguay captain, was caught before the hour mark and the Group H contest ended in disgrace as Agustin Canobbio was sent off in stoppage time for a challenge on Pau Cubarsi.
Spain were far from perfect but Unai Simon had little to deal with and they are still top of the group but the story of the night is that it is Cape Verde who move forward. Uruguay’s two-point haul was not enough to qualify as the third-placed team.
La Roja have drawn in the round of 32 against the runners-up in Group J, which is currently Austria. They will play in Los Angeles on Thursday July 2 starting at 8 pm.
Key moments from Guadalajara…
42: GOAL! Baena’s shot was blocked in the net by Muslera
46: SUB! Goalkeeper Muslera was sent off by Bielsa at half-time
57: SUB! Uruguay captain Valverde was dropped by Bielsa
86: CROSS! Torres finished but hit the top of the bar
90+5: RED CARD! Canobbio threw himself at Cubarsi and was sent off with a red card
What does the result mean…
Analysis: Bielsa’s World Cup nightmare
Bielsa is a cult hero for fans of Athletic Club and Leeds United but his Uruguayan reign will surely come to an end and will not be mourned by their fans after a campaign that has struggled since before it began.
In retrospect, Bielsa regretted the decision to retire Muslera. The 40-year-old goalkeeper was at fault in all four goals conceded by Uruguay in this World Cup. If he had kept them out, they would have been finished.
A contest that began amid questions about his handling of a man highlighted by Luis Suarez ended with Bielsa sending off Valverde and seeing Canobbio – another adversary – completely lose his temper. It was chaos.
Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera was hit by a shot from Spain’s Alex Baena
Bielsa: I didn’t give anything to Uruguayan football
Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa:
“The game was very even. We deserved to play in a draw. We should have played in a draw. Performance was not a problem.
“I couldn’t increase the strength of the Uruguayan players. By replacing Valverde, I tried to be more powerful in attack.
“What Uruguayan football gave you is nothing because any contribution a coach can make to the national team is useless if you don’t have a good result. If you ask me how they will remember me, they will remember me as someone who left nothing behind.”
Uruguay should reset | Spain did not spend
Sky Sports’ Gary Neville on ITV:
In Uruguay: “This is going to be a reset moment. They’ve had this generation of players who just retired 10 years ago and they’ve got this new generation that’s not at the same level.
“He has an experienced manager with a good reputation around the world but he has just decided to take everything with him when he leaves. He probably won’t survive this.
“Valverde has been sent off, a goalkeeper who has played 137 games has been sent off, so there will be disagreements but in these times it can be a redemption and a moment of reflection.”
In Spain: “Something doesn’t seem to have clicked yet, but at the moment we are not yet in the middle of the competition, you have to play five more games to win it. Spain are experts in understanding the competition and running it.
“You don’t have to be too quick so I don’t dismiss them yet, but they don’t look like they have any energy. That’s something that’s missing right now.”
