Uruguay Grinds Past Dominican Republic in Kuala Lumpur Tune-Up

KUALA LUMPUR — Marcelo Bielsa's Uruguay labored through 60 minutes of tactical frustration Friday before Ignacio Laquintana's breakthrough goal secured a 1-0 victory over the Dominican Republic at Bukit Jalil National Stadium, offering little reassurance ahead of next summer's World Cup despite the clean sheet.

The match—Uruguay's first-ever meeting with the Caribbean nation—served as preparation for both sides' upcoming fixtures, with La Celeste scheduled to face Uzbekistan next while Los Quisqueyanos prepare for a significantly sterner test against Colombia. What unfolded under the Malaysian floodlights, however, was a disjointed affair that raised more questions than answers about Uruguay's attacking rhythm.

For an hour, the South Americans—ranked 15th in FIFA's latest standings and already qualified for the 2026 World Cup—struggled to break down an opponent sitting 127 places below them in the global pecking order. The Dominican Republic, still licking wounds from a 3-0 thrashing at Jordan's hands last month, employed a defensive shell designed more for damage limitation than competitive ambition. It worked, perhaps better than anyone expected.

Uruguay dominated possession but produced little incision. Bielsa's side, which managed only six shots in their goalless draw against Chile last month, appeared similarly bereft of creative spark through the opening half. The pattern was familiar: patient buildup, sideways passing, and minimal penetration against a packed defensive block. For a team expected to challenge at next year's World Cup, the performance was worryingly anemic.

The breakthrough arrived on the hour mark when Laquintana found space in the area and finished clinically. The goal owed more to individual quality than cohesive team play, but Uruguay won't care. Three points from a friendly means nothing in the standings, yet the psychological value of avoiding embarrassment against vastly inferior opposition shouldn't be underestimated.

The Dominican Republic, winless in their last four matches with three losses and a draw, never threatened to mount a comeback. Their last meeting against South American opposition—a 4-1 defeat to Peru in March 2024—offered a template for how these continental mismatches typically unfold. They managed even less Friday, registering no meaningful scoring opportunities as Uruguay's defense recorded its fifth clean sheet in six matches.

That defensive solidity represents the brightest thread in Uruguay's recent tapestry. Across their last five fixtures—including draws with Chile and Bolivia, plus a narrow loss to Argentina—Bielsa's backline has proven remarkably stingy. The problem lies at the other end, where Uruguay have managed just four goals in their last five competitive matches before Friday's friendly.

The victory improves Uruguay's record to two wins in their last three matches, a modest upturn after winning just once in the previous nine. Yet context matters. Beating the 142nd-ranked nation in a friendly staged halfway around the world hardly constitutes compelling evidence of championship credentials.

For the Dominican Republic, the scoreline represented a minor moral victory. After their Gold Cup group-stage elimination in June and the subsequent 3-0 drubbing in Jordan, conceding just once to a World Cup-bound side offered a sliver of dignity. They head into their Colombia friendly next week with low expectations but perhaps slightly restored confidence that they can at least compete without complete capitulation.

The match unfolded in the peculiar vacuum that defines international friendlies—competitive enough for pride, meaningless enough that neither manager will lose sleep over tactical deficiencies. Still, Bielsa must address Uruguay's attacking malaise before competitive action resumes. With qualification secured, these friendlies represent Uruguay's final laboratory for experimentation before the World Cup spotlight intensifies.

As both teams departed Bukit Jalil Stadium, Uruguay carried the satisfaction of victory and the nagging worry that it required 60 minutes to break down opposition they should have overwhelmed. The Dominican Republic left with a respectable defeat, their defensive organization intact even as the scoreboard reflected their continued struggles.

The road to the World Cup winds through these forgettable friendlies, where great nations sharpen their tools against overmatched opponents. Uruguay secured the result but not the performance. That disconnect, more than any single statistic, will occupy Bielsa's thoughts as his squad prepares for Uzbekistan—and ultimately, for challenges far more daunting than what the Dominican Republic could muster in Malaysia.