Ronald Araujo Reflects on Costly Penalty in Uruguay's World Cup Qualifier Defeat

Uruguay defender Ronald Araujo has spoken out after conceding a late penalty in his team's World Cup qualifying defeat to Paraguay on Thursday. Araujo, who plays for Barcelona, made a critical error inside the penalty area, leading to the decisive moment in the match.

Araujo's poor touch allowed Paraguay's Julio Enciso to attempt to win the ball, and as Araujo tried to recover, he fouled Enciso, resulting in a penalty. Enciso successfully converted the spot-kick, sealing Paraguay's victory and leaving Araujo visibly frustrated.

Reflecting on the incident, Araujo admitted, "Maybe I should have hit it first, I tried to play my way out." He described the night as "bitter" for Uruguay, adding, "It was bitter because we wanted the win, we didn’t play well, we didn’t have a good match."

Araujo also expressed concern about Uruguay's performance, saying, "We’re not creating with the quality of players we have to be able to do so. We also made mistakes down low, even though we’ve always been known for defending well."

Despite the setback, Araujo remained optimistic, stating, "It’s clear that the results aren’t coming. We’re working to win, to keep Uruguay on top, but we have to keep working, keep trusting in the coach and the team."

Uruguay currently sits fifth in the standings, a point ahead of Colombia and six ahead of Venezuela, though both teams have a game in hand.