Uruguay was more similar to that of its origins than to that of Marcelo Bielsa. Defensive strength, clenched teeth, great performance by the center backs Josema Giménez and Mathias Oliveramagnificent match of Rodrigo Bentancur in the middle, until it melted and a great goal, with a perfect type from outside the area Fede Valverde.
Brazil was today’s Brazil. With relevant figures, of great technical quality, the Blaugrana Raphinha; Viniciuswith a bad first time and a good complement; the young man Savinho, dangerous when starting from the right and facing the center; Luiz Henrique, Martinelli; but with a great deficit to collectively capitalize on individual wealth, and fundamentally, to return to feeling like the Brazil of before, the one that overwhelmed and won almost always.
The summary ended up being a game of possession of the Verdeamarelho ball, but with a super valuable result for Uruguaythe celestial was more excited when Valverde’s conquest, but another very good shot, this time from Gerson, He equalized within a few minutes.
The local team dominated the first half, with very good football in the first 20, but detonated with their inability to score a goal. The 0-0 was business for the light blues.
Bielsa decided to leave Darwin Nuñez for the complement, giving entry to the Amèrica de México player, Rodrigo Aguirre. Uruguay won in danger and thus came the opening. But the northern offensive fury in the following moments of the match had its reward in the tie of Gerson.
Coach Dorival tried all possible variants, but did not go beyond 1-1. Uruguay He closed roads, and with his old style, he took the point of Bahia.
Brazil He could not beat the Charrùas either on the way to Montevideo, or on the way back to his homeland. He closed 2024 with the erratic image of a team that cannot find its destiny.
Uruguay emerged from the world of shadows, into which it had fallen in September and October, with four games without converting.
Friday’s victory against Colombiawith as much anguish as final joy, and this tie in the Brazilian northeast, they restore his confidence. And now, even with six dates of the South American Qualifiers to play, and without the following statement having mathematical certainty, the equality of visitors against Brazil puts them in the 2026 World Cup.
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Technical sheet:
1. Brazil: Ederson; Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhães, Abner (d.57, Gabriel Martinelli); Bruno Guimarães (m.80, André), Gerson (m.85, Lucas Paquetá), Savinho (m.72, Estevao); Raphinha, Vinícius Júnior and Igor Jesus (mm.57, Luiz Henrique).
Selector: Dorival Junior.
1. Uruguay: Sergio Rochet; Guillermo Varela, José María Giménez, Mathías Olivera, Marcelo Saracchi; Federico Valverde, Manuel Ugarte, Rodrigo Bentancur; Facundo Pellistri (m.66, José Luis Rodríguez), Darwin Núñez (m.46, Rodrigo Aguirre) and Maximiliano Araújo (m.81, Cristian Olivera).
Selector: Marcelo Bielsa.
Goals: 0-1, m.55: Federico Valverde. 1-1, m.62: Gerson.
Referee: The Chilean Piero Maza admonished Ugarte, Varela, Paquetá.
Incidents: Match of the twelfth day of the South American World Cup qualifiers played at the Fonte Nova stadium, in Salvador, capital of the northeastern state of Bahia.
