Uruguay coach blames Cup exit on Portugal PK

AL WAKRAH, Qatar - After being eliminated from the World Cup contempt a 2-0 win against Ghana connected Friday, Uruguay manager Diego Alonso blamed his country's nonaccomplishment to get retired of the radical signifier connected an officiating mistake successful the team's erstwhile crippled against Portugal.

"We are retired due to the fact that of Portugal's punishment and extremity difference," said Alonso, done a FIFA translator. "It's not the constituent [from a 0-0 gully against South Korea], alternatively to the contrary. We are not retired due to the fact that of that point. It's due to the fact that of the punishment that was awarded successful other clip that, according to FIFA, was not a penalty."

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The punishment successful question came connected a play successful the 89th infinitesimal erstwhile Portugal were starring 1-0. Uruguayan defender Jose Maria Gimenez made a sliding situation successful the punishment container and the shot grazed his manus portion helium was extending it to brace himself arsenic helium fell backwards.

Referee Alireza Faghani of Iran initially did not telephone for a penalty, but was advised to consult a VAR review, which led to the decision. Bruno Fernandes converted the punishment to marque the people 2-0.

Alonso has a morganatic gripe successful the aftermath of the International Football Association Board's (IFAB) clarification of the handball regularisation successful 2021, erstwhile it said it wouldn't beryllium a handball erstwhile "arm presumption is for enactment erstwhile falling oregon erstwhile getting up from the ground."

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However, that didn't alteration the information that Uruguay began Matchday 3 level connected points with South Korea, portion trailing by a azygous extremity connected the extremity quality tiebreaker and with 2 less goals scored. For teams level connected points, extremity quality is the archetypal tiebreaker and goals scored the second.

When South Korea scored successful other clip against Portugal to spell up 2-1, it meant Uruguay needed different extremity to beforehand connected extremity difference. That extremity ne'er came.

"We had galore chances to bash it, but successful the end, it wasn't possible," Alonso said. "And, of course, the affectional broadside was important, but inactive we tried to combat to qualify. We had four, 5 chances successful the past minutes, but past unluckily it wasn't possible."

Making his archetypal commencement of the tournament, Giorgian de Arrascaeta scored some goals successful the archetypal fractional for Uruguay aft goalkeeper Sergio Rochet saved a punishment from Ghana skipper Andre Ayew. Both teams started the time with a accidental to beforehand and were eliminated with the result.