Uruguay’s national football team secured a narrow 1–0 victory over the Dominican Republic in an international friendly match at Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Kuala Lumpur.
Uruguay, fielding a mix of emerging talents and established names, started with Cristopher Fiermarin in goal, while Marcelo Saracchi wore the captain’s armband. Rising star Luciano Rodríguez led the attack, tasked with breaking through the Dominican defence.
The Dominican Republic, on the other hand, lined up with Xavier Valdez guarding the goal, Dorny Romero as their main striker, and Santiago Mourino — who plays for Spanish club Villarreal CF — anchoring their defence.
The South American side, known as La Celeste, took control from the opening whistle, dominating the first 15 minutes with several dangerous attempts on goal that narrowly missed the target.
The Dominican Republic responded with a strong counterattack in the 28th minute, forcing Fiermarin into a sharp save — a moment that drew applause from the Bukit Jalil crowd for the Uruguayan goalkeeper’s quick reflexes.
Despite both teams displaying attacking intent and impressive ball movement, the first half ended goalless at 0–0.
At the start of the second half, head coach Marcelo Broli made five substitutions to inject fresh energy into the squad, bringing on Santiago Bueno, Rodrigo Zalazar, Federico Viñas, Agustín Álvarez, and Emiliano Martínez, while José Luis, Kevin Amaro, Facundo Torres, Juan Manuel, and Nicolás Marichal made way.
The tactical changes quickly paid off as Uruguay increased their attacking tempo. Their persistence was rewarded in the 60th minute, when Ignacio Laquintana — who plays for Red Bull Bragantino in Brazil — broke the deadlock with a well-placed strike from the right flank, giving La Celeste a deserved 1–0 lead.
The Dominican Republic had a golden chance to equalize in the 68th minute, but a close-range effort inside the penalty area drifted wide of the post.
As the match progressed, Uruguay maintained their dominance, keeping possession and creating several more chances while limiting the Caribbean side’s opportunities.
The match concluded with Uruguay holding firm to seal the 1–0 victory, a result that reflects their control and tactical superiority despite the narrow scoreline.
La Celeste will continue their Southeast Asian tour with another friendly, this time against Uzbekistan, at the Hang Jebat Stadium in Melaka on Monday.
Credit Photo : AUF
