Cape Verde produce another World Cup shock as Varela strike seals Uruguay draw

Wow. The continuation of Cape Verde’s fairytale may have serious repercussions for Marcelo Bielsa and Uruguay. The heroics of Cape Verde in holding Spain to a draw mean Uruguay should have been forewarned and forearmed in Florida. Instead, this tiny nation with a population equivalent to that of Bristol embarrassed World Cup aristocracy once more. What fun, what glorious fun.

Uruguay now head into Group H’s final game against Spain with their tournament involvement in serious jeopardy. Uruguay had already failed to beat Saudi Arabia. Cape Verde will hold high and legitimate hopes of seeing off the Saudis on Friday. They might not even need to, with an aggregate of three points from another draw potentially good enough for the last 32. The Blue Sharks, swimming in bigger waters than ever before, are the story of this World Cup. Uruguay have desperately underperformed thus far.