Al-Amri strike earns Saudi Arabia a point against Uruguay

Saudi Arabia 1–1 Uruguay in Group H opener

Your team did it again. Saudi Arabia 1–1 Uruguay in Miami on Monday night, and the Green Falcons walked out of Hard Rock Stadium with a point nobody expected them to take (1) (2) (4).

Abdulelah Al-Amri fired you ahead in the 41st minute, and the stadium shook (3). Uruguay threw everything at you after the break, 22 shots in the second half alone, but Mohammed Al Owais and the back line held firm until Maxi Araujo finally broke through in the 80th (4) (7) (12). Manuel Ugarte hit the post at 60 minutes (4) (5). Fernando Muslera had to stay sharp at the other end too, with both goalkeepers earning praise in the German press (11).

Still, a draw against a Uruguay side loaded with Valverde, Núñez, Bentancur, and Ugarte. That lands.

Uruguay's captain: 'We threw away the first half'

Federico Valverde did not hide behind excuses. "We threw away the first half. We didn't play the way we trained," the Uruguay captain said afterwards (5).

That is how rattled they were, your team forced the Real Madrid midfielder to admit his side got it wrong. Uruguay dominated possession and territory, but Saudi Arabia's first-half shape suffocated them (6).

Bielsa fumes after the draw

Marcelo Bielsa was blunt. "A rival we should have overcome. We gave away minutes in the first half, static football, no dynamic, no press, no depth. We had to win this match," he said (9) (10).

Uruguay's manager looked like a man who had just watched his team trip over a trap they knew was there. The Saudi game plan worked exactly as drawn up.

Fan reactions

A lot of respect out there for Al Owais and that second-half wall. The 22-shot stat from Opta, more than any team in a World Cup half since East Germany in 1974, has been circulating all morning, and neutrals are calling it one of the great defensive stands of the tournament so far. Saudi fans are pointing to Al-Amri's goal as the moment everything felt possible again, much like the Argentina win four years ago. Full thread here.