Goalkeepers at fault as Uruguayan persistence and Saudi patience go in vain

MIAMI, June 15 : Two experienced goalkeepers were thrust into the spotlight as Uruguay and Saudi Arabia played out a 1-1 draw in their World Cup Group H opener on Monday, with sloppy play from both shot-stoppers ultimately deciding an intriguing contest.

Uruguay's Fernando Muslera, who has 135 international caps, gifted Saudi Arabia the opener when he parried a shot straight into the danger zone, allowing Abdulelah Alamri to pounce and poke the ball past the 39-year-old.

At the other end, Saudi Arabia's Mohammed Alowais had been the hero of his side's defensive masterclass, making six of his nine saves in the second half alone as Uruguay threw everything at the Saudi goal.

But the 34-year-old's uncomfortable parry from a shot that bounced awkwardly off the turf fell perfectly for Maxi Araujo, who finished clinically to level the scores.

"In the first match, it's normal to have some mistakes from both sides. Even Uruguay today only really showed up in the second half," Alowais said.

"So it's natural since it's the first game. We're getting used to the atmosphere and the overall situation on the pitch."

TACTICAL BATTLE

The match had been billed as a tactical battle between Saudi Arabia's Greek coach Georgios Donis - who could count his international games in charge on one hand - and Uruguay's Marcelo Bielsa, one of the preeminent managers of his generation with more than 150 international games under his belt.

Bielsa had made no secret of his intentions the day before, highlighting his penchant for a high press and winning the ball back quickly further up the pitch.

His tactics were evident from kickoff as Uruguay dominated possession and pegged the Saudis back into their own half, with the forward and midfield lines pushing up the