Spain faces Uruguay tonight (Saturday, June 27 at 2 AM CEST, 1 AM BST) and a win is necessary for Uruguay to secure qualification for round of 32 after two draws: they could either finish as group leaders if they beat Spain (which would mean facing Austria or Algeria in round of 32), finish runner-ups (facing Argentina in the next round) or even finishing third in the group, or being eliminated if they lose and Saudi Arabia beats Cape Verde.
It is, therefore, a must-win match... which comes surrounded by controversy, as a report from El Espectador says that a "revolt" has started in the national team. According to the Uruguayan outlet, a group of players (Sergio Rochet, Fede Valverde, Manuel Ugarte, and Rodrigo Bentancur) met privately with coach Marcelo Bielsa and asked him to change his tactical approach in World Cup, which hasn't worked, and will be even harder to work against a country like Spain.
Basically, the players believe they should play with a low block and focus on the counter-attacks, a style closer to how Uruguay has historically played, but one that doesn't please Bielsa, who has opted for a more high-pressure style with more ball possession similar to Spain's, which shows in the data: Uruguay is the third team that has shot more on average this World Cup, 19, after Spain and Turkey (who has been eliminated already). Yet Uruguay has only scored 3 goals and conceded 3 goals in two matches, both ending in draws.
In the meeting the players also asked Bielsa to train with less intensity to avoid injuries and fatigue, as many were exhausted already before their tournaments. But Bielsa rejected the suggestions and, instead, gathered all players, and responded with a 48-minute monologue, defending his style of play, confirming they will mirror Spain tactically, and brought back the controversies like Luis Suárez, who publicly criticised his dictatorial behaviours after leaving the national team.
This resulted in some players leaving the meeting during a break, even if Bielsa still hadn't, finished. Some stayed and listened to the coach, but some left, showing the disconnect between Bielsa and at least some of his players, both in terms of tactical approach to football but also in attitude, with many assuming this match will be the end of Bielsa's career with the team if they lose.
