Maxi Araujo scored a late equaliser as Uruguay secured a 1-1 draw with Saudi Arabia in their Group H clash at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The result leaves the group wide open after Cape Verde's earlier draw with Spain.
Empty seats overshadow contest
Despite official attendance figures of 62,764, large sections of the stadium remained empty for much of the game. FIFA had marketed the World Cup as '104 Super Bowls', but the turnout suggested locals needed more convincing. A highway crash was cited as a reason for late arrivals, but many seats stayed vacant throughout.
The match highlighted potential issues with FIFA's reliance on secondary ticketing markets. With category one and two tickets priced at $430 and $600 respectively, it appears unlikely that thousands of buyers deliberately stayed away. Instead, tickets may have been snapped up by speculators who failed to resell them.
Saudi Arabia take shock lead
Uruguay dominated possession from the outset, as expected from a Marcelo Bielsa side. Federico Vinas saw an early header saved by Mohammed al-Owais, and a penalty appeal for handball against Hassan al-Tambakti was dismissed.
Against the run of play, Saudi Arabia took the lead in first-half stoppage time. Musab al-Juwayr's corner was headed by Tambakti, forcing a parry from Fernando Muslera, and Abdulelah al-Amri tapped in the rebound. Muslera's error drew a furious reaction from Bielsa.
Bielsa's tactical changes pay off
At half-time, Bielsa made two substitutions, including replacing Darwin Nunez, who had looked sluggish after limited game time since being deregistered by Al-Hilal in February. Federico Valverde was moved centrally after an anonymous first half on the right wing.
Uruguay's dominance returned, but Saudi Arabia defended resolutely. Vinas and substitute Agustin Canobbio headed wide, while Owais saved well from Manuel Ugarte's shot that struck the post.
Araujo to the rescue
The equaliser came in the 80th minute. Mathias Olivera crossed, Vinas headed towards goal, Owais failed to hold the ball, and Maxi Araujo reacted quickest to side-foot home at the near post.
Owais redeemed himself in stoppage time with saves from Nicolas de la Cruz and Valverde, securing a point for Saudi Arabia.
Spain will be the real winners from this result, as they face Saudi Arabia in Atlanta next. Uruguay return to Miami to play Cape Verde on Sunday, providing another test of FIFA's ticket sales strategy.
