PLAYER RATINGS: Suarez looked his age after a drab display in attack - but staunch defending from Gimenez and Godin kept Son quiet in Uruguay and South Korea's forgettable stalemate

The World Cup's tally of lacklustre 0-0 stalemates continued in Group G as Uruguay and South Korea played out a goalless affair at the Education City Stadium on Thursday.

Both sides were forced to settle for a share of the spoils after Diego Godin and Federico Valverde each struck the woodwork for Diego Alonso's side, after Hwang Ui-jo squandered a glorious chance to take the lead for South Korea.

Sportsmail has rated both teams' players following the drab affair in Al Rayyan.

Uruguay were held to a 0-0 draw by South Korea at the Education City Stadium in Group G

 Uruguay were held to a 0-0 draw by South Korea at the Education City Stadium in Group G

Luis Suarez struggled to impress and was hooked off by boss Diego Alonso in the second half

Luis Suarez struggled to impress and was hooked off by boss Diego Alonso in the second half

 

Uruguay

Sergio Rochet 6


Solid when called upon. His error late on could have been punished if Son Heung-min had his shooting boots on. 

Martin Caceres 6

Reliable performance from the 35-year-old veteran, who dealt with South Korea well despite the yellow card. Offered little going forward.

Jose Gimenez 9

Best player on the pitch with dominance in the air and leadership at the back. Peppered South Korea with threatening diagonal passes in the first-half. 

Diego Godin 8

Unlucky to see his header crash the post. Dealt with South Korea's long ball strategy well despite his ageing legs. 

Jose Gimenez put in a masterful defence performance alongside Uruguay captain Diego Godin

Jose Gimenez put in a masterful defence performance alongside Uruguay captain Diego Godin

Mathias Olivera 5

Missed a glorious chance to slot Darwin Nunez through in the first half. Was more useful in defence.

Federico Valverde 7

Nearly snatched the win with a well-struck effort from distance. Defended admirably in midfield but never questioned South Korea with the final pass. 

Matias Vecino 5

Hooked off early after an inconsistent performance. Could have been far more progressive with his passing. 

Rodrigo Bentancur 6

Did the basics really well until he misplaced a couple of passes in the second-half.  

Valverde celebrated a recovery tackle as if he had scored a goal in the final stages of the match

Valverde celebrated a recovery tackle as if he had scored a goal in the final stages of the match

Facundo Pellistri 5

Showed why Manchester United haven't trusted him yet. Made the right runs but lacked potency in the final third. Never gave up running until his substitution.  

Luis Suarez 4 

Vacant until Diego Alonso hooked him off. Relied too much on the midfield creating for him and lacked the street fighter mentality he once had. 

Darwin Nunez 5 

Missed a solid chance in the first-half and looked lost on the left flank. Showed flashes of promise but ultimately failed to deliver.

Substitutes

Edinson Cavani ('65) 6

Nicolas de la Cruz ('79) 5

Matias Vina ('79) 5

Guillermo Varela ('87) N/A 

Uruguay endured a frustrating afternoon as South Korea held them to a 0-0 draw in Group G

Uruguay endured a frustrating afternoon as South Korea held them to a 0-0 draw in Group G

 

South Korea

Kim Seung-gyu 7

Took pressure off the defence with a solid display between the sticks. Made saves when called upon and was confident from crosses. 

Kim Jin-su 6

Adapted well to deal with Pellistri after letting him through early in the first-half. Offered good width when Son Heung-min cut inside. 

Kim Young-gwon 7

Stayed compact and showed experience by keeping Luis Suarez quiet. Made a number of important blocks in the latter stages.

Kim Min-jae 7

Emerged a key leader at the back for the team. Nearly fashioned a good chance form a corner with a nifty flick. Shook off his knock and carried on stoically. 

Napoli defender Kim Min-jae emerged a crucial leader at the back for South Korea in the match

Napoli defender Kim Min-jae emerged a crucial leader at the back for South Korea in the match

Kim Moon-hwan 6

Had a quiet afternoon in defence thanks to Darwin Nunez's inefficacy on the left. Stayed compact and supported the attack well on occasion.

Hwang In-beom 5 

Looked desperate for a wondergoal. Too many long shots blighted promising positions for South Korea. Firmly anchored the midfield. 

Jung Woo-young 6

Dazzled Uruguay's midfield with quick footwork and bursts of acceleration at times. Sometimes lacked the final pass.

Son Heung-min 6

Lacked his usual cutting edge. Still looked most like scoring but squandered decent half chance in the closing stages.

Son Heung-min sported a protective face mask after recovering from his eye socket fracture

Son Heung-min sported a protective face mask after recovering from his eye socket fracture

Lee Ja-sung 5 

Couldn't find a way around the Uruguay wall. Rarely took on the defence with direct running. 

Na Sang-ho 5 

Started well in the first-half but faded away in the second half. 

Hwang Ui-jo 4

Fluffed the best chance of the game. Cannot be missing those opportunities at major tournaments. 

Substitutions

Cho Gue-sung ('74) 6

Son Jun-ho ('74) 5

Lee Kang-in ('74) 5 

Hwang Ui-jo squandered a glorious opportunity for South Korea midway through the first half