Goals: Uruguay—Cavani 34', Hernandez 71'
Recap: Despite not having their star player feature due to suspension, Uruguay were able to capture a 2-0 victory over Japan on Friday.
A deflected shot took enough of a bounce for Edinson Cavani in the first half, giving Uruguay a 1-0 lead at the break. Abel Hernandez was able to polish off a rebound in the second half to seal the 2-0 victory. For Hernandez, it was his eighth goal in 15 appearances with the national team.
Key Moment: As a goalkeeper, you are taught to parry the ball to safety. Japan's Eiji Kawashima did the opposite in the 71st minute. Though he was able to stop Nicolas Lodeiro's attempt, Kawashima parried it directly to Hernandez. The striker left zero doubts with his finish, burying Japan on their own soil.
Man of the Match: He's carrying the brunt of the attacking responsibilities now; however, Edinson Cavani didn't fade under the pressure. His goal proved to be enough on the afternoon.
Lesson Learned: At best, Uruguay are an average team without the services of Luis Suarez. Still serving a suspension for biting Giorgio Chiellini in the 2014 World Cup, Suarez was forced to miss the encounter in Tokyo this afternoon. Uruguay were forced to look stagnant as a result. La Celeste finished with eight attempts, but only three managed to land on target. Like Liverpool, Uruguay continue to face the challenge of being threatening without one of the world's premier strikers.
Up Next: Uruguay travel to South Korea to engage in a friendly on Monday, while Japan remain home to host Venezuela on Tuesday.
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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