Uruguay salvaged a 1-1 draw with Saudi Arabia after falling behind five minutes before halftime and spending the next 40 minutes under pressure, according to the report. Marcelo Bielsa’s team left Miami aware that it had created more than enough opportunities to win and that the result could have been different.
Bielsa’s halftime reorganization was credited with stabilizing the side, the report said, and there was suggestion the team may have rediscovered some of the form it lost in the United States two years ago. The coach made a strong start in charge of the national team, and the squad underwent a generational transition that included the recall of 40-year-old goalkeeper Fernando Muslera.
Early under Bielsa, a core of dynamic young players appeared well suited to his high-pressing, flank-focused system. Uruguay were described as South America’s in-form team during that period, recording wins in Buenos Aires over Argentina and a dominant victory against Brazil, and beginning the 2024 Copa América strongly.
That momentum did not last. The report called the 2024 Copa América a turning point: Luis Suárez retired and publicly criticized the atmosphere around the coach, and Bielsa himself described his own personality as “toxic.” After that tournament Uruguay’s form declined, and despite being top scorers in South American World Cup qualifying earlier, they failed to score in eight of the final 12 rounds and were not creating chances.
Friendlies brought no improvement. A 5-1 loss to the United States in November was singled out, with Bielsa watching his ideas implemented more effectively by Mauricio Pochettino, who has been influenced by the Argentine. With no pre-World Cup friendlies, Bielsa returned to intensive training work and unveiled a rethought lineup for the Saudi Arabia game, selecting both Darwin Núñez and Federico Viñas while Manuel Ugarte often slotted between the centre backs, the report added.
