Spain Tops World Cup Group 1-0 as Uruguay Crashes Out After Muslera Error/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Manaour/ Morning Edition/ Spain secured first place in Group H with a 1-0 victory over Uruguay, whose World Cup campaign ended after another costly mistake by veteran goalkeeper Fernando Muslera. Álex Baena scored the decisive goal, while Uruguay exited the tournament without a victory despite entering as one of the highest-ranked teams.
Spain booked its place atop Group H with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Uruguay on Friday, capitalizing on another costly error by veteran goalkeeper Fernando Muslera to eliminate the two-time World Cup champions.
The breakthrough came in the 42nd minute when Álex Baena fired a shot from inside the penalty area that Muslera failed to properly clear. The ball slipped past the 40-year-old goalkeeper for what proved to be the match-winning goal.
It marked Muslera’s third major mistake of the tournament. Following the goal, the longtime Uruguay goalkeeper requested to be substituted at halftime, with Sergio Rochet taking over for the second half.
The victory lifted Spain to seven points, enough to finish atop Group H and continue its pursuit of a second FIFA World Cup title.
After opening the tournament with a surprising scoreless draw against Cape Verde, Spain rebounded with a convincing victory over Saudi Arabia before edging Uruguay in the decisive group finale.
La Roja will now face the second-place finisher from Group J—either Austria or Algeria—on Thursday in Inglewood, California.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente praised his team’s ability to grind out a difficult result.
For Uruguay, the defeat completed a disappointing campaign that saw the South American powerhouse fail to win any of its three group-stage matches.
The two-time World Cup champions finished with only two points after draws against Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde before Friday’s loss.
Ranked 19th in the latest FIFA standings, Uruguay became the highest-ranked nation eliminated during the group stage.
Following the final whistle, several Uruguay players broke down in tears while many supporters inside Estadio Akron expressed their frustration by booing the team as it left the field.
Bielsa accepted full responsibility for the early exit.
The veteran manager also insisted his squad deserved a much better outcome based on its overall performances throughout the tournament.
Spain’s victory, combined with Cape Verde’s 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabiasent the African nation through as Group H runner-up.
Cape Verde finished with three points, one ahead of both Uruguay and Saudi Arabia.
Although Uruguay placed third, its two-point total was not enough to secure one of the eight knockout-round spots reserved for the tournament’s best third-place finishers.
The tightly contested match featured few clear scoring opportunities but plenty of tension during the closing stages.
Uruguay appealed unsuccessfully for a penalty after Federico Viñas fell inside the box late in the match.
Frustration boiled over during stoppage time when Agustín Canobbio received a red card for a challenge on Spain defender Pau Cubarsí. Teammates had to escort Canobbio off the field, and after the final whistle he returned to confront the referee.
Spain also suffered an injury scare.
Midfielder Yéremy Pino, who entered in the 66th minute, is believed to have suffered a broken collarbone after a heavy collision. With Spain having already used all five substitutions, Pino remained on the field until the final whistle.
De la Fuente indicated the injury will likely sideline the Villarreal midfielder for the remainder of the tournament.
Teenage star Lamine Yamal again played limited minutes as Spain carefully managed his recovery from a left hamstring injury.
The 18-year-old started the match but was substituted in the 76th minute after another relatively quiet performance.
Yamal was also substituted at halftime during Spain’s victory over Saudi Arabia and came off the bench during the group opener against Cape Verde, suggesting Spain remains cautious with one of its brightest young talents ahead of the knockout rounds.
Before kickoff, players and supporters observed a moment of silence to honor victims of the deadly earthquakes that struck Venezuela earlier in the week.
Among the crowd of 45,065 at Estadio Akron was Spain’s King Felipe VI, who watched his national team secure first place and continue its quest for another World Cup title.
Meanwhile, Uruguay heads home facing difficult questions after an unexpected group-stage elimination that ended with heartbreak, frustration and another costly goalkeeping mistake.
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