In a do-or-die third-round matchup, old grudges from 2010 combined with heated pre-match media debates made the atmosphere between Cana and Uruguay already tense.
As analyzed in the previous post - [World Cup Soccer] Traffic Code Mystery - Cana vs Uruguay pre-match analysis. In this match, Uruguay abandoned their conservative tactics of the previous two games and started the match with a high press in the center of the field, making it almost impossible for Cana to gain effective control of the ball in the middle of the field. However, early in the game, luck seemed to be on Cana's side. In the 17th minute, Cana had a 12-yard penalty kick, but Andre Ayew's shot was blocked, and the tempo of the game began to shift in favor of the Uruguayan team, which became the key turning point of the match. Then, as noted in the pre-match analysis, the Cana's poor backline once again faltered, and in the 25th minute, a mistake by two Cana defenders gave Luis Suarez a chance to fire a powerful shot, and although the shot was blocked, Arrascaeta then added the second goal.
Cana misses another 12-yarder after 12 years (AFP)
Luis Suarez抓住空档
Cana's defense fumbles the ball.
Cana's second defender fumbles
In the 30th minute, Uruguay scored another goal with a subtle play. In the second half, Cana started the game with a change of players, trying to use speed to break through the Uruguayan team's high midfield press, which achieved some results, but never managed to break through the opponent's defense. The most striking thing about the Uruguayan team in this World Cup is the tactical adjustments made by the coach. After taking a 2-0 lead in the first two matches with overly conservative tactics, the desire to attack dropped in the second half in an attempt to keep the 2:0 score, a strategy that has already been mentioned in previous [World Cup Soccer] articles, where the chances of advancement should be in one's own hands instead of counting on one's opponents. However, Poland won the gamble then, while Uruguay lost it. In injury time, South Korea nearly shut out Portugal, Uruguay had very little time left, and all the main strikers were replaced, and they were eliminated despite winning the game in the end. Thus, the coach's tactical arrangement became the main reason for Uruguay's elimination.
