Valverde’s great goal to secure a vital draw against Raphinha’s Brazil

Uruguay is more similar to its source than to Marcelo Bielsa. Defensive strength, gritted teeth, excellent performance by center backs Josema Giménez and Mathias Oliveravery good match of Rodrigo Bentancur in the middle, until it melted and a great goal, with perfect type from outside the area Fede Valverde.

Brazil is Brazil now. In relevant numbers, with great technical quality, the Blaugrana Raphinha; Viniciuswith a bad first chance and a good complement; the young man Savino, dangerous when starting on the right and facing the center; Luiz Henrique, Martinelli; but there is a great lack to collectively capitalize on individual wealth, and fundamentally, to return to feeling like the Brazil of old, the one that was overwhelmed and won almost always.

The summary became a game of possession of the ball of Verdeamarelho, but with a very expensive result for Uruguaythe celestial was more excited when the conquest of Valverde, but another very good shot, this time from Gerson, He equalized after a few minutes.

The local team dominated the first half, with some excellent football in the first 20, but blew up their inability to score a goal. 0-0 is business for the light blues.

Bielsa decided to leave Darwin Nuñez for the supplement, giving entry to Amèrica de México player, Rodrigo Aguirre. Uruguay won the danger and thus came the opening. But the northern offensive fury in the following moments of the match was rewarded in the tie of Gerson.

Coach Dorival tried all possible variants, but could not go beyond 1-1. Uruguay He closed the roads, and in his old style, took the point of Bahia.

Brazil He could not defeat the Charrùa on the way to Montevideo, or on the way back to his homeland. He closed out 2024 with the erratic image of a team unable to find its destiny.

Uruguay emerged from the world of shadows, where it had fallen in September and October, with four games without converting.

Friday’s win over the Colombiawith as much sorrow as the last joy, and this tie in northeastern Brazil, they returned his confidence. And now, even with six South American Qualifiers playing dates, and no following statement with mathematical certainty, the visitors’ draw against Brazil puts them in the 2026 World Cup.

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.

Objectives: 0-1, m.55: Federico Valverde. 1-1, m.62: Gerson.

Referee: Chilean Piero Maza advised Ugarte, Varela, Paquetá.

Incidents: The match on the twelfth day of the South American World Cup qualifiers was played at the Fonte Nova stadium, in Salvador, capital of the northeastern state of Bahia.