Debutants Cabo Verde are through to the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup as former champions Uruguay crash out after losing to Spain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Saudi Arabia were eliminated from the World Cup after playing to a goalless draw with Cabo Verde in their final Group H match earlier today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The stalemate meant Saudi Arabia finished on two points while debutants Cabo Verde stunningly advanced to the knockout stage as runners-up behind Spain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unbeaten in their three group matches, the archipelago nation of just over 500,000 will play Lionel Messi’s Argentina in Miami on July 3 in another chapter to their remarkable story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With history beckoning, Cabo Verde coach head Bubista changed half his starting side, some of it enforced, but retained his hero goalkeeper Vozinha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 40-year-old stopper single-handedly kept Cabo Verde in it as they held out for a famous point against European champions Spain in their first-ever FIFA World Cup match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cabo Verde, which is off the west coast of Africa, then claimed a brave 2-2 draw with two-time former champions Uruguay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That gave them a scarcely believable shot at the knockout rounds coming into the encounter against Saudi Arabia, who themselves were still alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the same time, in Guadalajara, Spain and Uruguay met as an unexpectedly tight group went down to the wire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cabo Verde had slightly the better of the first half in Houston against a Saudi side who drew 1-1 with Uruguay before being beaten 4-0 by Spain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Saudis suffered a blow in the 33rd minute when experienced defender Hassan al-Tambakti was stretchered off injured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Spain took the lead towards the end of the first half in Mexico, the news greeted by cheers by Cabo Verde fans in Houston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Willy Semedo fired not too far wide of the Saudi post but neither side seriously threatened in a tense first half.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At that point Cabo Verde were going through at Uruguay’s expense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Three minutes after the break Jamiro Monteiro had a major chance from close range but his finish was weak, then Kevin Pina had an effort from distance that whistled just off target.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The tension went up a notch as they entered the final quarter, but Saudi Arabia were strangely lacking in invention even though they were chasing the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the 75th minute goalkeeper Mohammed Al Owais kept them in it with a vital stop from Laros Duarte.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A point was enough for Cabo Verde, but if anything, they were the more likely to score as the match ticked into the dying minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Uruguay bowed out of the FIFA World Cup as goalkeeper Fernando Muslera’s howler gifted Spain a 1-0 win in Guadalajara to secure top spot in Group H.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alex Baena’s weak shot slipped through Muslera’s grasp for the only goal as Spain avoided a last 32 showdown against Argentina. The European champions will instead face Austria or Algeria next in Los Angeles on Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Uruguay’s defeat allowed debutants Cabo Verde to secure second place and a meeting with Lionel Messi and the defending champions thanks to a 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Spain’s King Felipe was among those in attendance but the only clash between two former winners of the FIFA World Cup in the group stages was a huge disappointment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lamine Yamal’s to the starting line-up had sparked the Spanish attack into life in a 4-0 defeat of Saudi Arabia after La Roja began in underwhelming fashion with a goalless draw against Cabo Verde.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But another laboured attacking performance leaves Luis de la Fuente with plenty to ponder before the knockout stages begin on Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A hero of Uruguay’s run to the semi-finals in 2010, Muslera was at fault for both Cabo Verde’s goals in a 2-2 draw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And in Guadalajara, Spain had barely threatened the Uruguay goal before the 40-year-old allowed Baena’s shot to dribble over the line from Marcos Llorente’s cross on 42 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To rub salt into Urguayan wounds, Manchester United midfielder Manuel Ugarte was injured in the build-up to the goal and stretchered off with what appeared a serious knee injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bielsa replaced Muslera at half-time by Sergio Rochet and the Uruguay boss made an even bolder call when Valverde was taken off on the hour mark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
De la Fuente also turned to his bench and the introduction of Dani Olmo and Fabian Ruiz finally injected some life into the Spanish performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Olmo should have done better when he spooned a shot over from a rare flash of Yamal’s brilliance to tee up his Barcelona teammate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yamal was replaced 15 minutes from time as his minutes continue to be managed after a hamstring injury ended his club season prematurely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His replacement Ferran Torres should have doubled the lead five minutes from time but hit the bar with just the goalkeeper to beat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Uruguay’s miserable tournament was summed up when Agust\u00edn Canobbio was shown a straight red card in stoppage time for a wild lunge on Pau Cubarsi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hyped as one of the pre-tournament favourites, Spain are now 34 competitive games unbeaten and are yet to concede a goal at the FIFA World Cup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But in stark contrast to some of the scintillating attacking play on show from the likes of France, Argentina and the Netherlands, La Roja are yet to convince in their quest for a second FIFA World Cup triumph.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Debutants Cabo Verde are through to the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup as former champions Uruguay<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13987,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[430],"tags":[276,63],"class_list":["post-14279","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-football","tag-fifa","tag-football"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t