Cape Verde controls their own destiny and can clinch a knockout berth with a win and amazingly, have a very small chance to win the group.

That would mean Spain faltering again and after La Furia Roja unleashed its full force on Saudi Arabia, I think the Blue Sharks might have to be content with battling for second place.

CAPE VERDE 2, URUGUAY 2

Fresh off their stunning shutout of Spain, the Blue Sharks were still hunting for their first goal. They would not have to wait long to send their homeland into euphoria again.

After a 20th minute foul gave Cape Verde a free kick over thirty yards out – looking like the distance from their home islands to Miami on television screens – Kevin Pina cared not for the distance and unleashed a powerful low strike under the jumping two man Uruguayan wall that Fernando Muslera could not reach as it found the bottom corner.

Not only would Cape Verde not be able to hold onto the lead, but Uruguay would storm forward right before halftime to be leading 2-1 at the break. Maxi Araujo reacting to a bouncing ball off the post to equalize via a point blank diving header in the 44th and in the final minute of first half stoppage time Agustin Canobbio finishing at close range after Araujo nodded down a header into the six yard box.

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It seemed like Uruguay had established control of the match, disaster struck in the 61st and a wayward pass into space was closest to Cape Verde sub Helio Varela who touched it around Muslera several yards outside his penalty area and slotted home into an empty net to restore the scoreline.

SPAIN 4, SAUDI ARABIA 0

La Furia Roja might have lacked urgency in their opening draw, so they made sure not to make that mistake again and it was just really unfortunate the Green Falcons were in the way.

Lamine Yamal scored his first of probably many World Cup goals and Mikel Oyarzabal scored a brace with goals just minutes apart in a rampant first half that saw Spain move to the top of the group.

Yamal polished off an Oyarzabal cross with a nifty back post sliding finish ten minutes in. About ten minutes after than, the Saudi backline couldn't clear their lines from a corner and a recycled ball back into the mixer saw Aymeric Laporte's nod the ball towards Oyarzabal who was able to gather and finish in traffic to double the advantage in the 21st.

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Just three minutes later he had his brace as Marc Cucurella, Dani Olmo, and Oyarzabal played a game of keepy-upy inside the box with a quick succession of passes that saw the Real Sociedad striker volley home Spain's third.

The rout would be complete in unfortunate fashion just after halftime when Cucurella's back post volley from a corner was saved by Mohammad Al-Owais only as far as his teammate Hassan Al-Tambakti as the Saudis watched the fourth goal of the night enter their net.

GROUP OVERVIEW

I just want the absurdity of this visually...basically every scenario aside from Saudi Arabia winning the group is mathematically on the table because Spain holds the head-to-head tiebreaker between the two if they both finish on four points.

Cape Verde can only win the group I believe with goal difference shenanigans. It's still very much win and you're in as far as the knockouts go so everyone still controls their own destiny in that regard.

UPCOMING MATCHES

Friday, June 26

Match 63: Uruguay vs. Spain, 8 p.m. on Fox (Guadalajara, Mexico)

Match 64: Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia, 8 p.m. on FS1 (Houston)

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