Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay: Al-Owais stands out in a 1-1 draw

Mohammed Al-Owais was the story of Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay. Saudi Arabia drew 1-1 with Uruguay in Miami, but the game belonged to the goalkeeper for long stretches, and his eight saves plus a 7.9 rating explained why Marcelo Bielsa's side had to wait until late for an equaliser.

How Al-Owais kept Saudi Arabia in front

Saudi Arabia were ahead in the 41st minute when Abdulelah Al Amri scored after Fernando Muslera could only parry Mohamed Kanno's header. From there, Mohammed Al-Owais started to take over. He tipped Manuel Ugarte's shot against the post on the hour, and Uruguay still needed more before they finally broke through.

The Sky Sports reporter's read was blunt: "The Saudi goalkeeper made a string of saves to keep his side in front and while the clean sheet was denied him, his player-of-the-match performance succeeded in frustrating the two-time World Cup winners led by former Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa."

That feels accurate. The 8-save return was not just busy work, it was the difference between a point and a late defeat for Saudi Arabia, who were under pressure for much of the second half.

Why Uruguay only got back in it late

Uruguay were not at their best before the break, and the match only opened up once the pressure increased after half-time. The Sky Sports reporter summed that part up too: "Uruguay were well worth it and were close to a winner as Miami's heat tired their opponents but will feel they escaped given how late the equaliser came."

That late equaliser arrived in the 80th minute. Maximiliano Araújo finished after Al-Owais could only push Federico Viñas's header into his path, and Uruguay finally had the reward their second-half push deserved.

Bielsa's team started in a 4-2-3-1 and did improve after the interval, with Nicolás de la Cruz's 6.9 rating in 22 minutes showing the bench helped lift the tempo. Even so, the headline remained Al-Owais. Saudi Arabia can still progress from Group H and face Cape Verde next, which is enough to keep the result alive, but the point was built first on a goalkeeper performance rather than control with the ball.