Spain weathers adversity, to play knock-out round at SoFi Stadium
GUADALAJARA, Mexico — Spain, second in the FIFA rankings and favorites to win the World Cup, did not play at its best but did enough to beat Uruguay 1-0 late on Friday and eliminate the South American team in one of the most anticipated matches of the first round.
While Spain finished first in Group H, Cape Verde, which participated for the first time, took second place with only three points as a result of three draws. Uruguay was eliminated from the tournament with only two points after two draws and one loss.
For much of Friday’s match, Spain lacked better offensive coordination as they faced more dangerous opponents in the upcoming do-or-die rounds.
Alex Baena scored the goal by connecting with the ball after a cross coming from the right in the 42nd minute. The ball sailed over goalkeeper Fernando Muslera and at first he appeared to have no trouble blocking the shot, but the ball found the back of the net and made the difference in front of 45,065 fans, mostly Spain fans, in Guadalajara on Friday night. Muslera did not play in the second half and was replaced by Sergio Rochet.
“We need to celebrate because, frankly, it is difficult to finish first in such a group,” said Atletico Madrid midfielder Baena.
Emphasizing that winning the World Cup requires winning tough matches against tough teams like Uruguay, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said, “It was a physically challenging, extremely intense match and we adapted to the situation.”
“I am proud of this team because they want to continue to grow. I have full confidence in this team. We are where we are now and this is exactly where we want to be,” added De la Fuente, stating that the team needs to improve the fluidity of play.
Uruguay failed to beat Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde, two teams that looked underdogs on paper at the start of the tournament. Coach Marcelo Bielsa’s team could not find its rhythm and could not play at its best.
“I could not bring out the full potential of the Uruguayan players,” said Bielsa, visibly shaken by his failure with the Uruguayan national team. “There is nothing I leave behind for Uruguayan football, because any contribution a coach can make to the football of a country where he has worked for three years will never take root if results are not achieved.”
At the end of the match, Uruguayan Agustín Canobbio received a red card after a hard foul on Spanish defender Pau Cubarsí in the 95th minute, and many Uruguayan players protested the decision of US referee Ismail Elfath.
For Bielsa and Uruguay, it marks the end of an era in which many believe the Argentine coach has lost control of the dressing room and his relationship with the media has become strained due to his eccentric and explosive personality, but above all his lack of wins.
Cape Verde will face Argentina in the round of 32 in Miami on Friday. Spain will face the team that finished second in Group J, which will be determined by the match between Algeria and Austria late on Saturday. The match will be played at SoFi Stadium.
The match was the fourth and last World Cup match played in Guadalajara. Before the match started, a minute of silence was observed in memory of those who lost their lives in the earthquake in Venezuela. Venezuelan authorities have reported more than 900 people dead and thousands more missing so far.
