19th Match FIFA World Cup 2018
19th Match FIFA World
Cup 2018
URUGUAY beat SAUDI ARABIA 1-0
World Cup 2018
v Luis
Suarez struck only goal midway through first half
v Uruguay
reach Round of 16 for third World Cup running
v La
Celeste qualify from Group A, Saudi Arabia eliminated
v RELIVE:
As it happened, stats
Uruguay made sure of their place
in the Round of 16 at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ after a 1-0 victory over
Saudi Arabia in Rostov-on-Don.
With the temperatures reaching 32°C, La Celeste had good reason to
conserve their energy. They took the lead after 23 minutes, when Luis Suarez
sidefooted into an empty net after Saudi goalkeeper Mohammed Alowais had tried
and failed to claim a corner.
After moving into pole position to qualify for the next round,
the Uruguayans paced themselves, continuing to probe but without exerting
themselves too much, despite
the fact that a draw with Russia in their final game will leave them second in
Group A.
In the lead-up to the match, Saudi Arabia coach Juan
Antonio Pizzi had urged his players to be competitive, putting the emphasis
more on the right mindset than on strategy and tactics. He has reason to be satisfied despite their
elimination. Though not the strongest side in the competition,
the Saudis battled hard and had chances to score.
Team reporter analysis
Florencia Simoes with Uruguay [Follow on Twitter | Facebook]
Uruguay made the most of their considerable defensive prowess and strength in
the air to claim a win that did not come as easily as expected. Though they
tried to kill the game off to avoid a nasty surprise, La Celestewere wayward in front of
goal after Suarez’s opener, which proved enough for a place in the next round
along with Russia.
The team gave a better account of themselves than in their
opening match. Despite conceding, the Saudi defence held the Uruguayan attack
at bay for the rest of the game and enjoyed plenty of possession, without ever
carrying a genuine goal threat.
Budweiser Man of the Match
Luis Suarez celebrated his 100th appearance for his country in
typical fashion, scoring his 52nd international goal to become the first Uruguay
player in history to find the back of the net at three World Cups. The front
man scored three times at South Africa 2010 and twice at Brazil 2014.
The stat
366 - Saudi Arabia have beaten their own record for failing to
score at the world finals, having now gone goalless in the competition for 366
minutes. Their previous worst mark was 343 minutes, between France 1998 and
Germany 2006, when Al Jaber scored their most recent World Cup goal, against
Tunisia.
What’s next
Uruguay-Russia: Group A, 25 June, Samara
Saudi Arabia-Egypt: Group A, 25 June, Volgograd
Page blog source:www.fifa.com/
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