Uruguay’s national football team, coached by Marcelo Bielsa, is set to conclude the November FIFA window with a friendly match against the United States. This match will take place on Tuesday at 21:00 (local time) in Tampa, Florida. Bielsa has streamlined the squad to 22 players, releasing five individuals for technical reasons.
Bielsa’s Squad Trimmed for USA Match
The Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) confirmed that five players were dismissed from the squad. This decision came as a surprise since none of the released players featured in the previous match against Mexico. The following players will return to their respective clubs:
- Facundo Pellistri
- Sebastián Cáceres
- Ignacio Laquintana
- José Luis Rodríguez
- Santiago Homenchenko
Homenchenko’s call-up was particularly notable as it marked his first inclusion in the national team. Pellistri is headed back to Panathinaikos in Greece, while Cáceres will remain in Mexico with Club América. Laquintana, Rodríguez, and Homenchenko were on the bench but did not see any action in the match against Mexico.
Updated Squad for the Friendly
For the encounter against the USA, Bielsa has selected the following 22 players:
- Santiago Mele
- Cristopher Fiermarín
- Nahitan Nández
- Guillermo Varela
- Ronald Araujo
- José María Giménez
- Santiago Bueno
- Mathías Olivera
- Matías Viña
- Joaquín Piquerez
- Juan Manuel Sanabria
- Manuel Ugarte
- Emiliano Martínez
- Rodrigo Bentancur
- Rodrigo Zalazar
- Giorgian de Arrascaeta
- Brian Rodríguez
- Facundo Torres
- Maximiliano Araújo
- Luciano Rodríguez
- Rodrigo Aguirre
- Federico Viñas
- Kevin Martínez (sparring goalkeeper)
Bielsa expressed intentions to rotate the squad significantly for the upcoming match. The team flew from Torreón to Tampa on Monday, preparing for their final outing of the year.
Match Details
The match is scheduled to kick off at 21:00 Uruguay time (19:00 local). The officiating team includes referees Julio Luna, Juan Tipaz, and Jorge Ordóñez from Guatemala, with Costa Rican Brayan Cruz serving as the fourth official. This friendly will be a critical opportunity for the national team to round off the year on a positive note.
