The Uruguay national team started the World Cup with an unexpected loss of points. One of the favorites in Group H drew with Saudi Arabia — 1:1, managing to avoid defeat only ten minutes before the end of the match.
The Uruguay national team failed to justify its status as a favorite in its first match at the World Cup. The Group H match against Saudi Arabia ended in a 1:1 draw, with the South Americans having to chase their opponent for most of the game.
The first half was relatively evenly contested, but closer to halftime, the Saudis managed to capitalize on their chance. In the 41st minute, Abdulela Al-Amri scored with a precise shot to put his team ahead.
After the break, Uruguay completely took control of the initiative and spent almost the entire half in the opponent's half.
Match statistics clearly show the favorite's advantage: the Uruguayans took 12 corners, made 22 shots on goal, and hit the target eight times. However, for a long time, the Saudi defense successfully dealt with the pressure. Only in the 80th minute did Maximiliano Araújo manage to restore parity by scoring a goal that earned his team one point.
For Saudi Arabia, this result can be considered a significant success. The team managed to take points from one of the main contenders to advance from the group and maintained good chances to fight for the playoffs.
Group H surprised in the first round as well. Earlier, Spain also dropped points. The reigning European champions failed to score against Cape Verde and finished the match with a score of 0:0.
As a result, after the opening round, all four teams in the group earned one point each, making the further competition highly unpredictable.
Two more draws were recorded in Group G. The teams of Iran and New Zealand played to a 2:2 draw.
The New Zealanders took the lead twice thanks to a double from Elijah Just, but the Iranians responded both times. Goals were scored by Ramin Rezaian and Mohammad Mohibi.
Earlier in the same group, the match between Belgium and Egypt also ended in a draw — 1:1.
Thus, after the first round, in two groups, all teams have the same number of points, promising a tense battle in the upcoming matches.
For Uruguay, the draw with Saudi Arabia was one of the first surprises of the tournament, and for the Spaniards and Belgians, the results of the opening round showed that underestimating opponents in the expanded World Cup is becoming increasingly dangerous.
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