World Cup 2018: Egypt vs Uruguay - Player Ratings
90th-minute header from Jose Gimenez proved to be the difference between Uruguay and Egypt. He rose higher than anyone else to bury the ball into the back of the net, off a fantastic delivery from substitute Carlos Sanchez.
Uruguay dominated possession in the opening exchanges of the game but failed to penetrate through the opposition defence. It was a cagey affair, as both sides had chances in short supply. Neither sides were able to take the game by the scruff of the neck. The first-half barely had anything, apart from a poor shot from Luis Suarez which hit the side netting. Egypt defended deep but weren't able to soak in the pressure until the very end.
The second half opened up more for the Uruguayans as they committed more bodies forward, in search of a winner. A couple of venomous shots from Cavani and a strike from Suarez from a tight angle tested the opposition shot-stopper.
This might not have been the most attractive game, but was certainly was important for Group A, as a last-minute winner is one fan's favourite and another's heartbreak.
Uruguay:
Fernando Muslera - 7/10
He gathered the ball well, organised and marshalled a solid, structured defence and made three routine saves. Throughout the game, Muslera looked confident.
Guillermo Varela - 8/10
Varela defended excellently, stood his ground and ran back in time more often than not. He forced Trezeguet to drop deeper and search for an opening. He was always willing to get forward and feed the strikers.
Jose Gimenez - 9/10
A man of the match performance! He claimed the most important touch of the clash. Gimenez is always a threat going forward, and he proved it.
While defending, he paired up superbly with Diego Godin, blocked crosses and made vital interventions whenever required.
Diego Godin - 8/10
He was always there when the back line needed him. Godin intercepted Egypt's final ball many times, timed his tackles to perfection and proved to be too good for Mohsen.
Martin Caceres - 6/10
Went on the outside of the winger, overlapped with intent but his final ball was poor. He was beaten defensively a couple of times too. He dealt with crosses well, albeit.
Matias Vecino - 7/10
Added stability to the midfield and foil to the defence. His presence in the middle was key to the clean sheet recorded by La Celeste.
Rodrigo Bentancur - 6/10
Blocked passing lanes, paired up decently with Vecino but offered minimal enterprise going forward. He was too safe in possession, as most of his passes were played sideways and backwards.
Nahitan Nandez - 7/10
Showed quick feet, worked hard and teamed up well with Varela but didn't have the vision to find his fellow front men. This is where he missed the trick.
Giorgian de Arrascaeta - 5/10
Couldn't quite make the difference going forward, as his crossing wasn't the best. However, he supported the fullback with a crucial defensive contribution.
Luis Suarez - 5/10
An afternoon to forget for the Barcelona forward. He was slow on the ball, as a result of which he lost possession cheaply. The 31-year-old wasn't clinical enough, as he wasted two chances. While linking up with his strike partner, he was lacklustre too.
Edinson Cavani - 7/10
Poor link up plays with Suarez apart from a couple of exchanges in either half, but came back to life in the final stages, when he struck a volley and a free kick. The latter was denied by the post, while the former was kept well.
Substitutes:
Carlos Sanchez - 8/10
He was busy down the central and right area, spraying passes all around and trying to play the fullback. His delivery for the goal was all that mattered, as it was a fine-tuned one, with the perfect pace and height.
Cristian Rodriguez - 6/10
Provided more zip than Arrascaeta, played in a more central role and passed around well. Much like his other teammates, not too creative.
Lucas Torreira - NA
Played too little to be judged or rated.