Uruguay took care of business in their Group A opener at the World Cup, but they did not look very convincing. Saudi Arabia were drubbed in their game, and they will be looking to restore some pride to their team. These two face off on Wednesday, June 20th.
What To Know About Uruguay
Jose Gimenez scored a header from a free kick in the 89th minute to give Uruguay a 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia. It was a tough day for Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, who missed a host of chances to give Uruguay the lead. The team was frustrated by Egypt, who were content to sit back and let Uruguay have the lion’s share of the possession. Uruguay saw 58% of the ball, but they will be disappointed with just one goal. The strikers should definitely take some of the blame here as Suarez and Cavani will need to be at their best if they want to make a deep run in the tournament. However, there was not a lot of creativity from their midfield, which is something that was a concern for Uruguay heading into the World Cup. That will be something to keep an eye on going forward. But three points are three points and Uruguay will happily take it.
What To Know About Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia were down early against Russia, allowing a goal in the 12th minute. They still looked in good shape before a 43rd minute goal, and it was all downhill from there as Saudi Arabia were routed 5-0. Saudi Arabia had six shots on goal, but none of them hit the target. They also had 59% of the ball, but Saudi Arabia never really did much with it. Furthermore, it appears as though they gave up late in the game when they went down 3-0, and two injury-time goals will not help their goal difference. It was a poor performance all around from Saudi Arabia, and expectations were low for them coming into the World Cup. However, they need to play hard for 90 minutes to get anything out of the tournament and if they play against Uruguay like they did against Russia, it could get ugly.
Outlook
Uruguay are favored at 1.13 in this matchup with Saudi Arabia, who are rated at 20.00 and a draw comes in at 8.08. These two have met twice in friendly matches before, with Saudi Arabia winning 3-2 at home in 2002. They also drew 1-1 with Uruguay at home in 2014, so Uruguay will have plenty of motivation here. Simply put, Uruguay should have this game in the bag by halftime and they will if Suarez and Cavani have their shooting boots on. Saudi Arabia are not going to be very threatening going forward, and they can only absorb so much pressure. Uruguay should be able to grab the three points and basically book their ticket to the next round. Saudi Arabia would put up a better effort, but it will not matter.
World Cup Betting Pick: Uruguay
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