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Matt Hughes<\/p>\nKey events<\/p>\n
Matt Hughes<\/p>\n
Fifa\u2019s embrace of rapacious American capitalism may have found its limits in Miami, one of the entertainment capitals of the world.<\/p>\n
Despite just seven tickets showing as available on their official website at kick-off there were thousands of empty seats \u2013 and empty concourses \u2013 throughout most of this game, a hard-fought draw which leaves Group H deadlocked following Cape Verde\u2019s stunning draw with Spain<\/a> earlier in the day.<\/p>\n Gianni Infantino has famously attempted to portray the World Cup<\/a> as 104 Super Bowls, although judging by this turnout the locals require some convincing. While the official attendance was given as 62,764 out of a capacity of 64,478, many did not turn up until the second half, with Fifa sources claiming that a crash on the highway was responsible for the late arrivals.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n There\u2019s one more game today\/tonight: Iran v New Zealand, whicn you can follow with Martin Pegan<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Full time: Saudi Arabia 1-1 Uruguay<\/p>\n All square in Miami. Uruguay were poor in the first half, when Abdulelah Al-Amri\u2019s smart finish gave Saudi Arabia<\/a> the lead, but the decision to move Fede Valverde into the centre of midfield catalysed a dominant second-half performance. Mohammed Al-Owais made a series of saves, from routine to outstanding, before Maxi Araujo equalised in the 80th minute.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a020.06 EDT<\/p>\n 90+7 min The Saudi Arabia<\/a> defence are out on their feet. They have had to work so hard in the second half.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 90+5 min Al-Owais has made eight saves tonight, six of them in the second half. That said, for all his excellence he was arguably at fault for the equaliser.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a020.02 EDT<\/p>\n 90+4 min The next corner is headed wide of the near post. Saudi Arabia<\/a> made a triple substitution just before the Valverde chance but there\u2019s no time for all that, just look in the book.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>90+3 min: Brilliant save by Al-Owais!<\/p>\n De La Cruz clips a half-volley from 15 yards that is pushed away by Al-Owais. He makes a far better save from the resulting corner, scrambling low to his left to push Valverde\u2019s long-range daisy-cutter round the post. That might be the save of the match.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a020.00 EDT<\/p>\n 90+1 min Seven minutes of added time.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 90 min: Uruguay<\/a> substitution Rodrigo Aguirre on, Federico Vinas off.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 89 min Tambakti does very well to divert a dangerous cross behind for another Uruguay<\/a> corner. It\u2019s clippe din and headed away by Kanno.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 87 min Saudi Arabia\u2019s first good attack of the entire half ends with Abdulhamid shooting just over from the edge of the area. Muslera had it covered I think.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 84 min The substitute Rodriguez lashes a shot from 20 yards that goes not far wide. It\u2019s all Uruguay<\/a>, as it has been throughout the second half. They still haven\u2019t created that many clear chances, but there\u2019s no doubt they deserve at least a point.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 83 min De La Cruz\u2019s corner is headed over by either Caceres or Tambakti, not sure which.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 82 min: Uruguay substitution Maxi Araujo\u2019s goal was his last touch; he\u2019s been replaced by Brian Rodriguez. Saudi Arabia<\/a> have brought on Nawaf Boushal for Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Maxi Araujo has equalised for Uruguay! Olivera flipped a cross from the left towards Vinas, whose downward header was pushed out into a dangerous area by Al-Owais. It bounced up awkwardly at Araujo, who did well to get over the ball and control a sidefooted shot that beat Al-Owais at the near post.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.51 EDT<\/p>\n GOAL! Saudi Arabia 1-1 Uruguay (M Araujo 80)<\/p>\n I told you a goal was coming.<\/p>\n Maxi Araujo equalises for Uruguay! Photograph: Lars Baron\/Getty Images Photograph: Patr\u00edcia de Melo Moreira\/AFP\/Getty Images Photograph: Carmen Mandato\/FIFA\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.50 EDT<\/p>\n 77 min Uruguay have attacked constantly in the second half, yet there has never quite been a moment when an equaliser has looked inevitable.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 75 min \u201cThere was a shot of Bielsa on the touchline then where he looked quite like my dad, who for all his many, many fine qualities wasn\u2019t a big football fan (he kept across the Motherwell scores though, bless him),\u201d writes James Humphries. \u201cThis made me think first of what my dad would have had to say about this game and then how pleased he would have been on principle about the Cape Verde result.<\/p>\n \u201cNow, on the one hand it probably doesn\u2019t say great things about a game when the viewer\u2019s attention turns instead to mortality and loss, but on the other hand it\u2019s about the first emotional response this mince has got out of me so far. Swings and roundabouts.\u201d<\/p>\n Haha. My dad would have fallen asleep in the chair after about 20 minutes and would be achieving peak REM snoring about now.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 72 min The match is back under way. A corner from Valverde is heading into the side netting of his own goal by Al-Buraikan.<\/p>\n Uruguay have brought on Nicolas de la Cruz for Manuel Ugarte.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.52 EDT<\/p>\n 69 min After a wicked cross from Valverde just evades three Uruguay<\/a> players, the referee signals for another drinks break.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 67 min Free-kick to Uruguay<\/a> near the byline on the left. Valverde whacks it into the six-yard box and Al-Owais, who is having a fine game, dives to push it clear.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 65 min The second half been like a training game: Uruguay attack v Saudi Arabia<\/a> defence.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 63 min: Saudi Arabia<\/a> substitution Nasser Al-Dawsari replaces Musab Al-Juwayr.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>60 min: Ugarte hits the post!<\/p>\n Ugarte stretches to control a pass 25 yards from goal, moves away from the nearest defender and forces a low shot through the crowd that hits the far post.<\/p>\n In fact, replays show that the keeper Al-Owais got a slight but probably vital touch as he dived low to his right.<\/p>\n Manuel Ugarte hits the post for Uruguay. The South American side have been much-improved since the break. Photograph: Anadolu\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.30 EDT<\/p>\n 59 min Another cross from Varela is headed well wide by Canobbio, who was lurking 12 yards out ahead of the near post.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.32 EDT<\/p>\n 56 min The substitute Canobbio yelps in pain when he\u2019s caught on the thigh by the studs of Al-Harbi. It was a glancing blow when Al-Harbi slipped and tried to retrieve the situation, but the referee didn\u2019t see it and allowed play to continue.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 53 min Varela wins another corner for Uruguay<\/a>, who are making all the running. Araujo\u2019s inswinger leads to a downward header that is kicked away by Tambakti (I think) in the six-yard box.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 50 min Maxi Araujo\u2019s inswinging corner from the right is headed just wide by Vinas. It was a pretty good downward header and Al-Owais wouldn\u2019t have saved it had it been in the corner.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 48 min Uruguay have made a decent start to the second half. Fede Valverde, who was anonymous on the right in the first half, has moved into a central position.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 46 min Uruguay almost equalise after 48 seconds of the second half. Varela crosses from the right, Vinas stoops very low to guide a header across goal and Al-Owais springs to his right to push it away. That was a fine effort from Vinas.<\/p>\n Federico Vinas has en early second half effort for Uruguay. Photograph: Amanda Perobelli\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.21 EDT<\/p>\n 46 min Uruguay have made a half-time substitution: Juan Sanabria and Agustin Canobbo are on for Darawin Nunez and Matias Vina.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m 100% with you on taking a positive attitude towards this World Cup<\/a>,\u201d says Gary Naylor. \u201cThe players and fans of traditionally less strong tems (especially those of African nations, so long held at arm\u2019s length by Fifa) deserve to be at a global event and they\u2019ve fully justified the expansion to 48 teams already.<\/p>\n \u201cOn a world led by miserable misanthropes, what a delight it is to see the reaction of the peoples of Cura\u00e7ao to their famous goal and those of Cape Verde to their astonishing result. I\u2019m sure there\u2019s plenty more to come before these wondrous bubbles burst. At least, in this unexpected week, they\u2019ve floated over an oft-sinking planet.\u201d<\/p>\n Did I say that about taking a positive attitude or have you mixed me up with Gianni Infantino? That\u2019s right, all members of the bald community look the same.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> Fifa\u2019s disciplinary committee has cleared the World Cup<\/a> video assistant referee Shaun Evans after he was accused of making a hand gesture associated with white supremacists.<\/p>\n An investigation found no evidence that the Australian had breached Fifa\u2019s ethics code and he issued a statement on Monday night claiming he had been unaware of making the controversial hand sign.<\/p>\n In a pre-recorded video showing the team of VAR officials working on Germany\u2019s 7-1 win against Cura\u00e7ao on Sunday, Evans was shown making an \u201cOK\u201d symbol by curling his thumb and forefinger in front of his right leg, a gesture which in 2019 was designated a hate symbol by the New York\u2011based Anti-Defamation League.<\/p>\n Evans was accused of making a racist symbol by observers online, and the anti-discrimination group Fare called for him to be removed from the World Cup<\/a>. Evans kept his counsel until being cleared by Fifa.<\/p>\n \u201cFifa\u2019s independent disciplinary committee can confirm that, after looking into the matter involving support video assistant referee Shaun Evans, it has found no evidence of breaches of the Fifa disciplinary code,\u201d its statement read. \u201cThe disciplinary committee has also taken note of Mr Evans\u2019 statement.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Half time: Saudi Arabia 1-0 Uruguay<\/p>\n A poacher\u2019s goal from Abdulelah Amri has given Saudi Arabia<\/a> a half-time lead against a tepid Uruguay AND IF I SEE THAT EFFING WALKERS ADVERT WITH BECKHAM AND STEVE CARELL ONE MORE TIME I SWEAR I\u2019LL DO TIME!. Not much else to say really: the punishing heat in Miami made for a sluggish half in which both teams had only spell of sustained pressure. Saudi Arabia made theirs count.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.00 EDT<\/p>\n 45+2 min Four minutes of added time.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 45+1 min Araujo, Uruguay\u2019s most dangerous attacker, runs onto a long, clipped through pass and draws a good save from the outrushing Al-Owais. The flag goes up seconds later, though replays suggest it was pretty tight. Somebody wake Gary Neville, etc.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 45 min Maxi Araujo curls the resulting free-kick to the far post. Vinas wins it in the air and plants a header back across goal that is saved comfortably, if acrobatically, by Al-Owais.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 44 min Al-Amri is booked for kneeing Maxi Araujo in the head. That makes it sound worse than it was \u2013 the ball bounced up and Al-Amri was trying to win it. But a yellow card is probably right.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 43 min Want to know more about the goalscorer? Bet you do.<\/p>\n Abdulelah al-Amri<\/a>Share<\/a><\/p>\n The goal came from another corner on the right. Al-Juwayr swung it towards the penalty spot, Tambakti nailed a downward header that Muslera could only spoon out in front of goal, and Al-Amri gobbled up the rebound like a natural born centre-forward.<\/p>\nMatt Hughes<\/p>\n