By Louis Smith.
Uruguay were the only South American team not to make it out of the group stage, in what was a very disappointing campaign from La Celeste. They had a decent squad and a favourable draw. However, the local media heading into the tournament were talking about the breakdown in internal cohesion, and those concerns were evident straight away against Saudi Arabia, who controlled much of the first half and deservedly took the lead through Abdulelah Al-Amri just before half-time.
Despite all the criticism of coach Marcelo Bielsa, it was his changes at half-time, taking off Matias Viña and Darwin Núñez, and bringing on Juan Sanabria and Agustín Canobbio, that changed the balance of the second half. Uruguay pretty much dominated after the break and were unlucky not to win the game. They found an equaliser through Maximiliano Araújo, who was definitely one of the bright sparks for La Celeste throughout the tournament.
However, they just didn’t kick on from that performance.
Against Cape Verde in the second match, they were well off the mark. Kevin Pina opened the scoring for Cape Verde before Uruguay turned the game around through Maximiliano Araújo and Canobbio. However, their lead was cancelled out in the second half as Helio Varela equalised for Cape Verde, earning what was probably a deserved point.
Uruguay may have finished with the better expected goals, but they could only register two shots on target, failing to consistently threaten the goal.
It was a disappointing World Cup for veteran goalkeeper Fernando Muslera, who was actually substituted at half-time in Uruguay’s final game, a 1-0 loss to Spain, which brought an end to their chaotic time in North America.
Álex Baena scored, with the veteran goalkeeper perhaps feeling he should have done better. This saw Sergio Rochet come on at half-time, in what will likely prove to be the end of Muslera’s international career.
It’s worth saying that he has had a successful career and did well to come back from the sickening double leg break injury he suffered while at Galatasaray in 2020.
Things went from bad to worse for Uruguay against Spain, as Canobbio was sent off for a shocking tackle before protesting at the referee.
The standout player in the tournament for Uruguay was definitely Maximiliano Araujo. The explosive winger was one of the few real positives for Uruguay. Every time he got the ball, he looked to run at defenders and take them on. He was the only player who consistently looked capable of creating something. Even with Uruguay struggling to connect, Araujo’s work rate and pressing from the front never dipped. He chipped in defensively too, and looks set to be a key asset going forward for Uruguay.
What next for Uruguay?
They will need to find a new manager after Marcelo Bielsa officially stepped down following the World Cup. They will also need to replace several experienced players. They have an ageing squad, with the likes of Luis Suárez already not involved and José Giménez reaching the twilight of his career.
Uruguay have always placed an emphasis on youth development, and that will once again be crucial over the next four years. It is a huge period ahead for La Celeste, and much of their future will depend on who is appointed as the new manager
