Spain and Uruguay will wrap up their Group H campaign with a match in Guadalajara, Mexico, this Friday, in which they must secure their place in the next round. Luis de la Fuente’s team heads into the match on the heels of a 4-0 rout of Saudi Arabia, while Marcelo Bielsa’s squad faces the game with doubts and a sense of urgency following its second consecutive draw.
With two points to their credit, Uruguay must earn points against Spain if they want to advance to the next round. A draw would leave Marcelo Bielsa’s team depending on the result between Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia and on goal difference, while a loss would leave them all but eliminated from the World Cup. If they win the match, they could even finish first.
Spain is in the lead with Lamine Yamal as its top contender
For its part, Spain leads Group H with four points.
Therefore, a draw is enough for them to secure their spot, virtually already as one of the best third-place teams—if that were to happen—based on their points total.
Although it is aiming for a victory that will secure first place without having to rely on other teams’ results.
A lead following the rout of Saudi Arabia that dispelled any doubts left by the draw against Cape Verde.
In the match against Saudi Arabia, Luis de la Fuente made four changes to the starting lineup, which he plans to stick with, though one player remains a question mark:
Marcos Llorente could return to right back in place of Pedro Porro.
Lamine Yamal will start again in the starting lineup.
After recovering from the muscle injury he suffered at the start of the World Cup, the winger—a star for Spain and the tournament—played the first 45 minutes against Saudi Arabia.
Enough to seal the victory, conserve energy, and avoid taking risks.
That said, against Uruguay, he’ll see more playing time (Filed under: Spain Seeks to Secure the Top Spot).
Spain is fine-tuning its players with an eye toward the decisive phase
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Nico Williams and Mikel Merino are also looking to get some playing time.
And they’ll get them. That’s the coaching staff’s plan.
Two players who were instrumental in winning the 2024 European Championship, but who are now far from their peak form.
The goal is for them to be 100% ready to compete for a starting spot in the playoffs.
This phase of the World Cup kicks off with the new round of 16, and Spain’s main goal is to advance as the group winner and play its match in Los Angeles.
To alternate venues with Dallas until the potential final in New Jersey on July 19 (Filed under: Spain Seeks to Secure the Lead).
Uruguay Welcomes Back Key Players for the Decisive Match Against Spain
To achieve this goal, they will face a Uruguay team that heads into the match with several unknowns in its starting lineup.
The biggest piece of good news for Marcelo Bielsa is José María Giménez’s return from injury.
The Atlético Madrid center back, who missed the first two games due to an ankle injury, has resumed normal training and is set to return to the heart of the defense.
His return would allow Mathías Olivera—who was used as a center back in the first few games despite being a left back—to return to his usual position.
Meanwhile, Giorgian De Arrascaeta, one of the team’s key creative players, remains sidelined with a calf injury.
Meanwhile, Ronald Araújo is racing to be ready to play.
According to EFE, the soccer player has been training with the ball for the past two days, and the outlook is positive regarding his availability for the match against Spain.
In addition, Guillermo Varela trained separately from the group during the last session, although he could be in the starting lineup (Filed under: Spain Seeks to Secure the Top Spot).
Muslera, Under Pressure in the Match That Will Determine Uruguay’s Future
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Another question mark is in goal.
Fernando Muslera, who had left the national team after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and made an unexpected return in the March roster, went straight back into the starting lineup.
To the detriment of Sergio Rochet, Uruguay’s regular goalkeeper during the South American qualifiers.
However, Muslera’s performance against Cape Verde—marked by a mistake on one of the goals conceded—reignited the debate over who should start in goal against Spain.
Uruguay is thus facing a crucial challenge amid instability and poor results.
This comes after two draws that mean they need to earn points against Spain if they want to stay in the tournament.
The two teams will play this match in a stadium located 1,670 meters above sea level.
This will be Spain’s first time at this World Cup, although the team has already played a friendly match in Puebla, Mexico, at an altitude of 2,160 meters.
It will also be the first game for Uruguay, which—although it held its training camp in Mexico—did so in Playa del Carmen and played its first two games in Miami (Filed under: Spain Seeks to Secure the Top Spot).
Spain leads Group H with four points
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Probable Lineups
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Uruguay: Muslera or Rochet; Varela, Cáceres, Giménez, Olivera; Ugarte, Valverde, Bentancur; Canobbio or Darwin Núñez, Viñas, and Araújo. Head Coach: Marcelo Bielsa (ARG).
Spain: Unai Simón; Marcos Llorente, Cubarsí, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Pedri, Dani Olmo; Lamine Yamal, Oyarzabal, and Baena. Head Coach: Luis de la Fuente.
Referee: Ismail Elfath (U.S.).
Stadium: Guadalajara.
Time: 6:00 p.m. local time (12:00 a.m. GMT on June 27).
With information from EFE
For more information, visit NuevaOnda.com