Uruguay in crisis, Spain one result from topping Group H

Uruguay with everything on the line

Your group finale against Uruguay is Friday, and the stakes are lopsided. Spain need a draw or better to win Group H. Uruguay have to win or they are out (1) (2) (4). A point and you avoid Argentina in the round of 32, more on that in a moment. The Spanish camp looks calm. The same cannot be said across the aisle.

Uruguay players revolt against Bielsa

Reports out of the Uruguay camp are ugly. A group of players has openly turned on Marcelo Bielsa ahead of what German outlet n-tv calls an "Endspiel", a final (2). The details are thin, but a squad in revolt on the eve of a must-win World Cup match is never nothing. Your team walks into this storm from the calm side of the tunnel.

The Argentina trapdoor

Finish second in Group H and you get Argentina. Messi has already locked up first in his group. A Spain–Argentina round of 32 is on the table, but only if you lose to Uruguay (5). A draw or win and it vanishes. Simple as that.

Azpilicueta: this is not just Yamal

Cesar Azpilicueta went on the BBC and made a point worth hearing: Luis de la Fuente has built a squad, not a one-man show (6). Yamal got his hometown goal against Saudi Arabia. Rodri scored in that same 4–0 win. Unai Simon has three straight World Cup clean sheets, matching the 2010 run. Azpilicueta says the depth is real, the kind that carries you past a group stage and into the knockout rounds.

Cape Verde–Saudi Arabia runs parallel

The other Group H match kicks off Saturday at 2:00 CEST, Cape Verde against Saudi Arabia (7). Saudi Arabia are already eliminated. Cape Verde could still sneak through depending on results. That scoreboard matters for your knockout path, but the math is straightforward: win or draw and you control everything.

Sevilla and Oviedo get the call

When the World Cup is over, Spain will host Croatia at the Sanchez Pizjuan and the Czech Republic at the Carlos Tartiere in Oviedo (3). No dates yet, but the RFEF are taking the national team to Seville and Asturias. Two grounds that will be absolutely bouncing.