Giménez Heads an 89th-Minute Winner to Lead Uruguay

To absolutely no one's surprise, the first-ever World Cup winner was involved in yet another intense, tactical and physical game.

And that's just the way Uruguay likes it.

This is rarely the most attractive style of football, but it still doesn't account for 6000 seats being unoccupied at the Ekaterinburg Arena.

Especially since they were all confirmed as sold.

 

Maybe it was Sepp Blatter Swindler Night at the ol' football ground.

Full house or not, though, Group A favorite Uruguay needed three points against short-handed Egypt in order to stay even with Russia, the current leaders.

When the schedule was first released, fans were expecting to see Luis Suárez and Edinson Cavani vs the now-injured Mohamed Salah.

 

Apparently doing their best to offset Salah's absence, Suárez graciously went off-form ...

 

... and an unlucky Cavani, who couldn't beat Egyptian 'keeper Mohamed El-Shenawy or the woodwork:

El-Shenawy was undoubtedly the Man of the Match, with spectacular saves, putting on a heroic performance until the 89th minute.

That's when Carlos Sánchez crossed the ball on a freekick, and Jose Giménez -- with a powerful, dramatic, late header -- scored the 1-0 winner for the Uruguayans, who were undoubtedly better throughout the whole game, and deserved the win. 

Veteran Uruguay manage, Óscar Tabárez looked like he was revisiting his youth while celebrating the victory.

Dude reflected the feeling of all Uruguayan fans, as it was their first win in a World Cup debut since 1970.

With Group A’s first round in the books, chalk is holding form:

If Egypt has any shot at sneaking into th bracket, Salah had better be a quick healer.