Uruguay exit World Cup with ‘bad taste in our mouths’ after win against Ghana, says coach Alonso

Uruguay coach Diego Alonso says his team leave the World Cup with a “bad taste” in their mouths after they were knocked out despite beating Ghana 2-0. 

​Uruguay beat Ghana 2-0 in last group gameSouth American nation still crashed outCoach left upset at team’s failure to qualify

WHAT HAPPENED? The South American nation appeared to be on their way through to the next round with the victory until South Korea scored a stoppage time winner against Portugal, ensuring the Asian country went through as group runners up. Uruguay had two penalty appeals denied during the match.

WHAT THEY SAID: Alonso feels his team were hard done by and deserved to go through. He told reporters: “The team did everything they had to do to be in the next round, football, mood, the game, the goals, the chances created, even the ones they took away from us, but hey, it’s football. We go home with a bad taste in our mouths.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Uruguay would have gone through had they scored one more goal or conceded fewer goals in the group stage and Alonso pointed to the controversial penalty that Portugal were given as they beat the South Americans 2-0. “We gave everything we had to give”, he said. “FIFA told us that Portugal’s goal was not a penalty and there is evidence of what happened, but at this moment there is no need to make excuses.”

IN THREE PHOTOS:

DID YOU KNOW? Uruguay failed to advance to the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time in four editions, while it was also the first tournament in this run that the South Americans failed to win at least two games in the group stage.

WHAT NEXT FOR URUGUAY? Uruguay will have to regroup and prepare for their next big tournament, perhaps without veteran stars Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani.