Published Jun 6, 3:17pm ET by
Demilade Adelekun - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Jun 6, 3:17pm ET
Credit: Shutterstock
Updated Jun 6, 3:18pm ET
Uruguay and Cabo Verde meet on matchday 1 of Group H at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, in Cabo Verde's first ever World Cup appearance.
Federico Valverde leads a Uruguay side built around Real Madrid quality and one of South America's tightest defensive partnerships.
Federico Valverde had 20 goal involvements in 42 appearances for Real Madrid this season. He plays box-to-box at a level almost no international midfielder can match right now, and Marcelo Bielsa has built this Uruguay team around giving him the freedom to run games. Manuel Ugarte anchors alongside him from Manchester United. Ronald Araújo and José María Giménez form a centre-back partnership that conceded just 12 goals in 18 qualifying matches. Darwin Núñez leads the line despite not playing for Al-Hilal since February after the Saudi club reshuffled their foreign-player registrations. His fitness is the one real question mark.
Cabo Verde's first World Cup is a story worth telling. They topped their CAF qualifying group, finishing four points clear of Cameroon across ten matches. That earns respect. But walking into a game against Valverde, Araújo, and Giménez on matchday 1 is a brutal introduction to the tournament. Uruguay have won the World Cup twice. Bielsa doesn't do friendly football.
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Ryan Mendes is Cabo Verde's captain and all-time leading scorer, a forward with a long European career behind him at clubs including Lille, Nottingham Forest, and Le Havre. He is 34 years old and this is likely his last chance at a World Cup stage. Jovane Cabral offers energy from Estrela Amadora, and Dailon Livramento scored four goals in qualifying to earn his place up front. Jamiro Monteiro and Kevin Pina give the midfield some structure.
The challenge for Pedro Brito's side is surviving the first 20 minutes. Uruguay press high under Bielsa, and if Cabo Verde can't get out from deep, the game gets long fast. Their best-case scenario involves Mendes finding space in behind on the counter and Livramento making Uruguay's defence work. It's possible. It's just very unlikely to be enough.
Valverde against a Cabo Verde midfield that has never played at this level. The gap in defensive quality between the two sides is real. Cabo Verde can be organized, but Uruguay's midfield presses and runs at a pace that eliminates organized defences. Núñez's fitness is a concern, but even without him at full capacity, Uruguay have enough. We're backing Uruguay -350.
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Pick
Uruguay -350
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