Uruguay and Manuel Ugarte continue their search for a first win in this World Cup, drawing 2-2 vs Cape Verde.
Ask Spain, and they’ll tell you that Cape Verde are no pushovers, but Uruguay needed three points here after Spain demolished Saudi Arabia.
Manuel Ugarte started again in defensive midfield and played 70 minutes, and by then, all the goalscoring from both sides had finished.
It didn’t stop the Uruguayan press from launching a three-word verdict that was as clear as it comes.
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How Manuel Ugarte fared for Uruguay vs Cape Verde
For all his faults and limitations, Ugarte has been a key player for Marcelo Bielsa, so it was no surprise that he started again.
What was a surprise is that he was given additional attacking responsibilities against a team that staged a memorable rearguard action against Spain last time out.
Needless to say, Man Utd fans saw a familiar sight playing out of Ugarte not being comfortable with the ball, and found him lacking when he was forced to run towards his own goal on transitions.
He did create one chance and had nine passes into the final third, but the zip was missing, and it came at a cost of defensive chaos.
Bielsa will be worried at his team conceding twice to Cape Verde, and Ugarte will also have to take blame for being so easy to get past on transitions.
The Uruguayan press didn’t react kindly to this result, which leaves the nation in a tricky position to qualify for the next stage.
Uruguayan press on Ugarte
There is general frustration back in Uruguay due to the team’s lacklustre performances, and Ugarte is catching a lot of flak too.
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Montevideo were the most brutal, saying he looked “uncomfortable” when asked to defend his own box, simply saying, “he’s not there.”
They wrote: “Very sloppy with the ball, and against an opponent with very physical and fast players, he struggled a lot. When they dropped back, he wasn’t the right person to control the ball, which made him uncomfortable. Nevertheless, the cross that led to the second goal came from his feet. Once again, he was one of the team’s biggest weaknesses and should have been substituted much earlier. He’s not there, he just wasn’t there.”
El Observador rated him just 4/10, writing, “He cut off and initiated attacks well at the start. Then he failed to press the play that led to the free kick for the goal. Being behind made him imprecise, both with the ball and in marking.”
They did praise his role in the team’s second goal, where he delivered a good cross, but it was overshadowed by a lacklustre overall display.
El Pais also rated him 4/10, writing, “He was very sluggish with the ball, misplacing several passes and looking somewhat uncomfortable at times.”
La Diaria noted his role in a defence that “faltered” against Cape Verde, and now faces a tough task against Spain to salvage their campaign.
That game happens on June 26, and Uruguay will also have one eye on Cape Verde’s result against Saudi Arabia, while hoping to secure three points of their own.
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