Cape Verde coach Bubista said he was “upset” after a Uruguay player broke off from helping treat one of his players for cramp to join the attack that led to the South Americans’ equaliser.
Cape Verde held a 1-0 lead heading towards half-time after a stunning free-kick from Kevin Pina, but entered the break behind.
Uruguay’s first goal came in unusual circumstances as Federico Viñas, who had been holding up the leg of Cape Verde player Telmo Arcanjo to help relieve cramp, unceremoniously dropped it when he realised an attack was on.
Uruguay swung the ball into the box and after Sidny Cabral’s header struck his own post, Maxi Araújo stooped to head in and level.
Bubista could not hide his disappointment at the incident after the match, particularly given the high regard he has for Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa.
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“I was upset by that — because Bielsa taught us to have fair play. That’s in his press conferences, that’s in the matches that his teams play. We learned what fair play was from his attitude,” he said.
“It felt frustrating, but that’s part of the game and part of the experience of growing with the team.
“We could have done something to prevent that situation, we could have kicked the ball off the pitch, but we’re trying to do things our own way.
“It’s also natural that players will sometimes feel pressured and we can say that about the Uruguay team as well. We can only grow from what happened.”
After the match, Bielsa spoke about the team’s inability to capitalise on some of their advantages.
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“I think that the problem or greatest issue is that we started the second half with the ball and with the victory,” Bielsa said through a translator after Sunday’s game. “And it was at that moment that we didn’t close it. We didn’t make any danger.”
Bielsa claimed his team “lacked a finishing touch” in Sunday night’s draw.
In their first World Cup match without Luis Suárez since 2010, Uruguay narrowly avoided an upset against Saudi Arabia with the team’s only goal coming late from midfielder Maxi Araújo. Nuñez and Federico Viñas led the front line but were largely ineffective.
Bielsa chose a different lineup Sunday night, starting only Viñas to lead the attack. Midfielder Agustín Canobbio was added to the starting lineup against Cape Verde and made a difference, scoring Uruguay’s second goal.
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It was Canobbio’s narrow miss in the second half, however, that could have given Uruguay a much-needed victory.
Suárez and Bielsa clashed after the 2024 Copa América when Suárez criticized Bielsa for the negative environment he had created under his leadership. Now, Bielsa and the Uruguay team will face further pressure to secure a win with an attack that has yet to dispel concerns.
All eyes will be on Uruguay on Friday as they travel to Guadalajara Stadium for a match against Spain.
Press Association and Associated Press contributed to this report.
