Tottenham star Rodrigo Bentancur an 'exception' as Uruguay slammed in Cape Verde draw

Tottenham Hotspur's Rodrigo Bentancur did not have the best performance in Uruguay's World Cup opener, but he turned it around against Cape Verde.

However, while the Spurs midfielder put in a solid showing against the African island, the 2-2 draw leaves his nation's World Cup future firmly in the balance.

Marcelo Bielsa's side will have to beat Spain in the final group match to confirm their place in the knockout rounds.

Or else a draw would leave them hoping to finish as one of the best third-place sides.

There will be hope, especially if Bentancur can carry over his performance against Cape Verde.

Bentancur's performance is just one of the rare positives emerging from the Cape Verde game according to the Uruguayan media.

What has been said about Rodrigo Bentancur's performance against Cape Verde?

Two back-to-back draws against sides that Uruguay ultimately should have beaten have left them on the edge of a World Cup exit.

The pressure is undoubtedly building, and if the two performances from Bielsa's side are anything to go by, they will struggle against Spain.

While many failed to turn up against Cape Verde, the Uruguayan media have hailed Tottenham ace Bentancur as an "exception" to that fact.

After Uruguay conceded the second goal, national publication El Pais slammed Bielsa's side as a "mess".

However, when it came to Bentancur, the outlet states: "It was difficult to find players delivering consistently high-level performances; perhaps the only notable exceptions were Varela, Bentancur, and Araujo, who had a decent impact on the goals."

Meanwhile, El Observador name checks the Spurs man in their headline stating: "Agustín Canobbio and Rodrigo Bentancur were the only ones who performed well."

They later went on to award the central midfield star a six out of the match rating, and quoted as saying: "He was important in the goal, winning a high ball and forcing a defensive error from Sidny Lopes Cabral. He improved after the equaliser, with nutmegs and pinpoint passes.

"When the team faltered after conceding the second goal, he was the most effective player, intercepting numerous passes and distributing the ball with confidence.

"He possesses a contagious leadership style. He finished by stopping a clear scoring opportunity with a commendable defensive effort."

Overall, while many failed to live up to the occasion, Bentancur stood up to the test.

And perhaps with his experience in Spurs' relegation battle last season, that could translate into a must-win match against Spain.

Is the Bentancur praise against Cape Verde validated?

Bentancur was awarded the second-highest match rating (8.2) for Uruguay according to FotMob, with goalscorer Maxi Araujo (8.3) the only man outperforming him.

Additionally, that has been awarded despite the Tottenham ace not picking up a goal involvement and getting yellow carded.

In the 90-minute performance, Bentancur was key to Bielsa's side, especially in regaining possession.

He made eight recoveries, completed four interceptions and was also involved in a crucial last ditch tackle to prevent a Cape Verde goal.

He also won eight of his 15 contested duels, with those 15 battles showcasing how involved he was in play

Offensively, the Uruguay international also completed both of two attempted dribbles, and made six passes into the final third.

While the result was poor for the South American nation, that was through no fault of Bentancur, whose performance ultimately deserved more than one point.