Spain secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Uruguay on Friday to finish top of Group H and book their place in the FIFA World Cup knockout stage. Alex Baena’s first-half goal proved to be the difference in a tense and physical contest, while Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay were eliminated from the tournament.
Spain finished the group stage with seven points from two wins and a draw. Cape Verde also advanced to the Round of 32 after drawing all three of their matches. Uruguay ended with two points, level with bottom-placed Saudi Arabia.
The only goal came in the 42nd minute. Baena found space just outside the penalty area and hit a powerful shot that Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera failed to hold, with the ball slipping through his hands and into the net.
It was a costly mistake by the veteran goalkeeper, who was substituted at half-time. The goal came while Manuel Ugarte and Lamine Yamal were receiving treatment after a collision, but play continued and Baena made the most of the opportunity.
Uruguay started brightly and worked hard to keep 18-year-old Lamine Yamal quiet on the right wing.
Spain’s best early chances came from set pieces. Pau Cubarsi headed wide from a Baena corner in the 16th minute and missed another headed opportunity four minutes later.
Uruguay’s best chance of the first half came in the 27th minute when Federico Valverde forced Rodri into losing possession before setting up Darwin Nunez inside the box. Instead of shooting, Nunez tried a backheel effort, allowing the chance to slip away.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with Uruguay pushing for an equaliser but lacking quality in the final third. Substitute Federico Vinas came close but fired over the bar from Maxi Araujo’s cross.
Spain introduced Dani Olmo in the second half, and he missed a good chance from close range after being picked out by Yamal. Despite that, Spain looked comfortable for most of the game.
Uruguay applied late pressure, but goalkeeper Unai Simon made important saves to deny Mathias Olivera and Nicolas de la Cruz.
Spain nearly added a second goal when Ferran Torres struck the crossbar after a pass from Fabian Ruiz.
The frustration finally boiled over in stoppage time when Agustin Canobbio was sent off for a reckless challenge on Cubarsi, bringing a disappointing World Cup campaign for Uruguay to an unhappy end.
