Uruguay attacker Federico Vinas raised eyebrows after abandoning an opponent he was treating for cramp to join an attack.
As Uruguay drew 2-2 with Cape Verde on Sunday, Telmo Arcanjo was down injured and Vinas rushed over to help him.
However, in an unsporting move, Vinas dropped Arcanjo’s leg and rushed into the penalty area to support once he realised an attack was on.
It earned Uruguay a leveller just before half time, but the decision agitated Cape Verde boss Bubista, who hit out at Uruguay for abandoning fair play.
Uruguay head coach and former Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa is a known stickler for good sportsmanship, prompting Bubista to criticise Uruguay for abandoning those principles.
‘I was upset by that – because Bielsa taught us to have fair play,’ said Bubista. ‘That’s in his press conferences, that’s in the matches that his teams play. We learned what fair play was from his attitude.
Uruguay attacker Federico Vinas has come under fire after leaving an opponent he was helping deal with cramp to go and join an attack that his side scored from
After a few seconds, Vinas (No 21) left Telmo Arcanjo on the floor and ran towards goal
‘It felt frustrating, but that’s part of the game and part of the experience of growing with the team.
‘We could have done something to prevent that situation, we could have kicked the ball off the pitch, but we’re trying to do things our own way.
‘It’s also natural that players will sometimes feel pressured and we can say that about the Uruguay team as well. We can only grow from what happened.’
Cape Verde and Uruguay have both taken two points from their first two group games at the World Cup.
The African minnows face Saudi Arabia in their final match, knowing victory will take them through to the knockouts. Meanwhile, Uruguay face a stern test against Spain.
