Toothless football and CONMEBOL ineptitude lead to a goalless fiasco. 

 

Second game of the night for the striking Estadio Metroplitano de Merida.  Venezuela fans eager to see their national side were vocal and excited. 

 

Paez started Perez at left back; his problem position since Rojas was injured; Gonzalez gets the start over Paez in midfield, he retains faith with De Ornelas and Maldonado.  A point will guarantee first place in the group. 

 

Fucile comes in on the left for Uruguay, the only change Tabarez makes.  Uruguay has been in poor form this tournament but need only a point to get qualification into the knockout stages. 

 

We wanted to see a contest here, we didn't.  both teams needed a draw and that's what they got.  Early on the Venezuelans were hailing their team with chants of "Ole!" and booing the Uruguayans, then for long periods would whistle both teams in protest. 

Austria and Germany did it once to deny Algeria; 1982 World Cup, FIFA then started to play final games in group stages concurrently, thus no team would gain any advantage or disadvantage from knowing the other results. 

 

Really, really poor and disappointing for CONMEBOL to fail miserably, so far the tournament has been a success. 

 

I can't be bothered to review a game that wasn't a contest. 

 

The referee; the worst of the tournament so far; after his howler in Maracaibo was rushed to Merida for this game.  Actually he was mostly invisible and controversy free.  This just illustrates what an awful game he had in the middle for Argentina v Colombia. 

 

Venezuela:-

Vega

Gonzalez

Rey

Cichero

Perez

Mea Vitali (Fernandez 76)

Vera

Arango

Gonzalez

Maldonado (Torrealba 56)

De Ornelas (Guerra 65)

 

Bookings:-

Gonzalez

Vitali

 

Goals:-

 

 

Uruguay:-

Carini

Fucile

Lugano

Scotti

Rodriguez

Perez

Garcia

Pereira

Rodriguez

Forlan (Abreu 79)

Sanchez (Recoba 67)

 

Bookings:-

Fucile

Pereira

 

Goals:-

 

Attendance:-

42200

 

Referee:-

Carlos Simone (BRA)