Hundreds of Uruguayans gathered at the facilities of the old Mercado Modelo in Montevideo to follow with tension the second match of their team in the 2026 World Cup, which culminated in a bitter 2-2 draw against Cape Verde and? the classification of the Celeste entangles.
The image of the team led by Marcelo Bielsa once again raised doubts among the fans, who saw how defensive errors condemned the South American team against the African team.
Carlos, one of the fans present at the venue, summed up the feelings of many attendees by pointing out that the team cannot allow itself to “let the goals be scored” in that way.
“It can’t be that every time they get to you they score a goal; you almost score a goal yourself and that generates a lot of mistrust, which later translates into the collective game,” lamented the fan, in reference to an error in the ball’s release by Mathías Olivera and a bad decision by Muslera that allowed Helio Varela to score the second and final goal for Cape Verde.
Despite the frustration over the goals conceded, other fans appreciated the dedication of the team, which managed to rescue a point thanks to the goals of Maximiliano Araújo and Agustín Canobbio.
For Danilo, another of the spectators, the approach was correct and he highlighted the attitude of the players, although he recognized the pressing lack of aim of the team: “We need to save it, score the goal”he highlighted.
Arina – a Russian fan, but well dressed in Uruguayan colors – expressed herself along a similar line, who missed “a little calm on the field.”
Marcelo Bielsa: “We have to win”
The lament of the stands was fully shared by the protagonists on the field. At the end of the match, both the Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa and the scorers Araújo and Canobbio agreed on a single and urgent slogan: “We have to win.”
With just two points in Group H, Uruguay is obliged to achieve a victory against the leader Spain on June 26 in Guadalajara to dream of the round of 32.
For this decisive crossing, the South American partisan assumes that calculators are no longer useful, but appeals to the historical resilience of their country: “Uruguay can lose to anyone and beat anyone,” Carlos stressed.
Danilo, for his part, was more optimistic from a tactical point of view. In his opinion, the Spanish team’s favoritism and its control of the ball can benefit the Celeste’s style.
“It is better for us when the other has the leading role. I don’t think Spain will suffocate us; Uruguay is an uncomfortable team to face,” he concluded, clinging to the hope that the national team will be able to recover and advance to the next round.
