Fernando Muslera let this Alex Baena shot past as Uruguay lost 1-0 to Spain.
(Luke Hales via Getty Images)
Uruguay crashed out of the World Cup on Friday night in a 1-0 loss to Spain. And Uruguay’s demise allowed Cape Verde to make the knockout rounds in its first World Cup appearance.
Spain’s winner came on a massive blunder by longtime Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera. He allowed Alex Baena’s 42nd-minute shot to bounce off his hands and into the back of the net in what should have been a routine parry.
Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa clearly believed that too. It had been a rough World Cup for the 40-year-old keeper. And Bielsa had apparently seen enough. Muslera was subbed off at halftime for Sergio Rochet.
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The inaugural World Cup winners had their moments of optimism, but they simply didn’t have a consistent attacking threat in a match that was not the most pleasing to watch. And even Federico Valverde wasn’t spared from being subbed off early by Bielsa. The Real Madrid star was taken off the field in the 58th minute.
As Uruguay flailed, Cape Verde simply needed to get a tie with Saudi Arabia to make it through to the knockout rounds. And that’s exactly what happened. Saudi Arabia couldn’t get the goal it needed in the 0-0 draw.
Spain, which entered the game on four points, wins the group with seven, while Cape Verde finishes in second with three points. Uruguay is third with two and Saudi Arabia had one.
Group H table, results
|
W |
D |
L |
GD |
GF |
TCS |
Pts |
||
|
1 |
Spain |
2 |
1 |
5 |
5 |
-2 |
7 |
|
|
3 |
Cape Verde |
3 |
2 |
-4 |
3 |
|||
|
2 |
Uruguay |
2 |
1 |
-1 |
3 |
-9 |
2 |
|
|
4 |
Saudi Arabia |
2 |
1 |
-4 |
1 |
-6 |
2 |
Monday, June 15: Spain 0, Cape Verde 0
Monday, June 15: Saudi Arabia 1, Uruguay 1
Sunday, June 21: Spain 4, Saudi Arabia 0
Sunday, June 21: Uruguay 2, Cape Verde 2
Friday, June 26: Cape Verde 0, Saudi Arabia 0
Friday, June 26: Spain 1, Uruguay 0
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Who will Spain, Cape Verde play in knockout round?
Cape Verde vs. Argentina
6 p.m. ET, July 3, Miami
Cape Verde’s improbable World Cup run began with a 0-0 tie against Spain. And it continues against Lionel Messi and Argentina. By finishing second in the group, Cape Verde will head to Miami on July 3 to play Messi and the defending World Cup champions. A win there for Cape Verde would be the biggest World Cup upset in modern history. And it’d earn Cape Verde a trip to Atlanta — where it tied Spain — on July 7 in the Round of 16.
Spain vs. TBD
3 p.m. ET, July 2, Los Angeles, California
Spain will find out its opponent for the knockout rounds on Saturday night in a game that neither Austria or Algeria may want to win. Whoever finishes second to Argentina in Group J will draw the Euro 2024 champions. If there’s a tie — and both Austria and Algeria finish with four points — Austria will be Spain’s opponent and Algeria will have a much more winnable game against Switzerland.
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Will third-place team make knockout round?
Nope. Had Uruguay tied Spain and Cape Verde tied Saudi Arabia, there was a good chance that Cape Verde could have gotten through on three points and a neutral goal differential. But with nine third-place teams already on three points and only eight of those teams advancing to the knockout rounds, there will be a lot of soul searching in Uruguay.
Can this group produce a World Cup winner?
Absolutely. Spain is the No. 2 favorite to win the World Cup behind France and, as it showed two years ago, is capable of beating anyone. It wasn’t the prettiest group stage for Spain, but all you have to do in a tournament like the World Cup is survive and advance. And yes, we’re already looking forward to a potential semifinal between Spain and France as they’re on the same side of the bracket.
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Cape Verde’s World Cup run will likely end at the feet of one of the greatest players to ever play the game of soccer. But how wild is it to think that Cape Verde will be playing Argentina for a spot in the Round of 16 in the first place?
