Nicaragua were handed a big blow ahead of their clash against La Celeste as they have been banned from the 2023 Gold Cup for fielding an ineligible player and have been replaced with Trinidad and Tobago.
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Marcelo Bielsa will oversee his first game as the new Uruguay head coach on Wednesday, when La Celeste host Nicaragua in an international friendly at Montevideo on Wednesday. The hosts will be in action for the first time since the 2-1 win away to South Korea back in March, while Nicaragua are heading into the match on the back of a 3-1 defeat against Panama four days ago. The South American outfit are going through a transition period and Bielsa will be looking to build a strong team ahead of the 2024 Copa America to be held in USA in June-July.
🔜 ¡𝗝𝗨𝗘𝗚𝗔 𝗨𝗥𝗨𝗚𝗨𝗔𝗬!
Mañana la Selección tendrá el estreno de Marcelo Bielsa.
🆚 Nicaragua
🕞 20:30h
🏟️ Estadio Centenario
📺 https://t.co/qVMBrYKoRh
🎟️ https://t.co/vqqqTqtlNO #ElEquipoQueNosUne pic.twitter.com/a2PkGlhT50— Selección Uruguaya (@Uruguay) June 14, 2023
Uruguay didn’t have a great World Cup campaign in Qatar, getting eliminated in the group stages, after collecting four points from three games. A draw with South Korea and Portugal left La Celeste needing a victory over Ghana in the final group match and the result in the other match of the group to go their way in order to progress to the last-16 stage, and while they triumphed against the Black Stars, it wasn’t enough as they bowed out in third place. Disappointing World Cup campaign led to the exit of manager Diego Alonso and Uruguay returned to action in March, securing a 1-1 draw away to Japan before defeating South Korea at Seoul World Cup stadium thanks to Sebastian Coates’ 10th-minute opener and Matias Vecino’s winner three minutes into the hour-mark.
Nicaragua were handed a big blow ahead of their clash against La Celeste as they have been banned from the 2023 Gold Cup for fielding an ineligible player and have been replaced with Trinidad and Tobago. La Zul y Blanco originally qualified for the continental competition by topping their group in CONCACAF Nations League B. Now, USA will take on Trinidad and Tobago on July 2nd in Charlotte. On Saturday, the Blue and Whites lost out to Panama despite twice taking the lead through Widman Talavera and Oscar Acevedo.
Uruguay probable starting lineup: Rochet, Varela, Lemos, Gonzalez, Vina, Carballo, Diaz, Martinez, Pellistri, Rossi, Rodriguez
Nicaragua probable starting lineup: Lopez, Quijano, Reyes, Fletes, Acevedo, Medina, Serapio, Montes, Hernandez, Barrera, Talavera
Uruguay
| Opponents | Score |
| South Korea | 1-2 (W) |
| Japan | 1-1 (D) |
| Ghana | 0-2 (W) |
| Portugal | 2-0 (L) |
| South Korea | 0-0 (D) |
Nicaragua
| Opponents | Score |
| Panama | 3-2 (L) |
| Trinidad & Tobago | 1-1 (D) |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 4-1 (W) |
| Guatemala | 3-1 (L) |
| El Salvador | 1-0 (W) |
The international friendly between Uruguay and Nicaragua will take place at Estadio Centenario on Thursday at 5:00 am IST.
| Uruguay vs Nicaragua | Key Details |
| Date | June 14 (Uruguay) |
| Venue | Estadio Centenario |
| Kickoff time in Uruguay | 8:30 pm (Wednesday) |
| Kickoff time in Nicaragua | 5:30 pm (Wednesday) |
| Kickoff time in India | 5:00 am (Thursday) |
Football fans in USA can catch the live action via Fox Sports network.
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