MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Uruguay got off to a start that many weren’t expecting. After a draw Saudi Arabia and cape verdeand there are still games left against Spain, so two world cup The winner risks missing out on the knockout stage.
With many fans watching, there was someone the team had been looking to score for over 15 years. Luis Suarez.
The match took place at the Miami Stadium, near where Suarez is based as a striker for Inter Miami. The 39-year-old watched from above as Uruguay struggled despite overwhelming advantages.
suarez International career ended in 2024 He played in 143 games and scored 69 goals, making him the national team’s all-time leading scorer. He was ultimately left out of Marcelo Bielsa’s squad after months of speculation.
After the match, Bielsa spoke about his team’s failure to capitalize on some of their advantages.
“I think the problem, or the biggest problem, was that we started the second half with the ball and with the win,” Bielsa said through an interpreter after Sunday’s game. “And at that moment we didn’t close the door. We took no risks.”
Bielsa claimed his team “lacked the finishing touches” in Sunday night’s draw. What Suarez once brought to Uruguay.
Uruguayan fans were aware of how difficult it would be to replace a player of Suarez’s caliber.
Uruguay supporter Frederico Suarez said, “To be honest, I have mixed feelings.” “He’s older now, so it’s time for younger players to shine. But he’s a good player, probably the best player I’ve ever seen for the Uruguay national team.”
In April, Luis Suarez announced his intention to come out of retirement to play for Uruguay at the World Cup. The announcement fueled speculation that it would be the Uruguayan star’s final appearance on soccer’s biggest stage. Bielsa instead put his faith in Uruguay’s next attacking generation. Veteran striker Edinson Cavani From his roster.
Uruguay fan Ian Lancaster said: “He feels like he’s aged a little bit, so I think it gives a player like Darwin (Nunez) a chance to shine a little bit.”
In their first World Cup match without Suarez since 2010, Uruguay narrowly avoided an upset against Saudi Arabia with midfielder Maxi Araujo scoring the team’s only goal in the second half. Nuñez and Federico Viñas led from the front, but to little effect.
Bielsa opted for a different line-up on Sunday night, starting only Viñas to lead the attack. Midfielder Agustin Canobbio was included in the starting lineup against Cape Verde and played an active role, scoring Uruguay’s second goal.
However, Canobbio’s late shot may have given Uruguay a much-needed victory.
Suarez and Bielsa clashed after the 2024 Copa America when Suarez criticized the negative environment created under Bielsa’s leadership. Now, Bielsa and the Uruguayan team will face even more pressure to secure victory in an attack that has yet to eradicate concerns.
All eyes will be on Uruguay as they travel to the Guadalajara Stadium on Friday to take on Spain.
“Our expectation for Uruguay now is that you never know,” Uruguay fan Alfonso Aguer said. “We have to play every game, take it game by game and see what actually happens.”
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Gracie Fisher is a student at the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.
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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup
