Guadalajara, México. Spain advanced to the World Cup knockout stage as Group H winner after defeating Uruguay 1-0 on Friday, with another costly mistake by goalkeeper Fernando Muslera helping send the two-time champion home.

Uruguay exited the tournament without a win from its three group matches. Spain, the reigning European champion, finished atop the group with seven points and will face the runner-up from Group J — either Austria or Algeria — on Thursday in Inglewood, California.

Álex Baena scored in the 42nd minute after Muslera failed to fully stop his shot from inside the penalty area. It marked the third costly error of the tournament for the 40-year-old goalkeeper, who asked coach Marcelo Bielsa to substitute him at halftime. Sergio Rochet took over in goal for the second half.

"He is the one who decided to leave," Bielsa said.

The veteran Argentine coach said Uruguay deserved better based on its performances and felt the team could have earned seven points instead of two from the group stage. Still, he accepted responsibility for the disappointing campaign.

"No one wants to listen to explanations now," Bielsa said. "The blame is on me. I'm the one responsible for the disappointing work that I did. I had a group of quality players."

Ranked 19th in the FIFA standings, Uruguay became the highest-ranked team eliminated from the tournament so far.

"Every match is different and you have to win every type of match," Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said. "This was a game with maximum difficulty."

De la Fuente said midfielder Yéremy Pino likely suffered a broken collarbone that would rule him out for the remainder of the tournament. Pino entered in the 66th minute and remained on the field despite the injury because Spain had already used all five substitutions.

Cape Verde secured second place in the group after drawing Saudi Arabia 0-0 in the other Group H match. The African nation finished with three points, one more than both Uruguay and Saudi Arabia. Uruguay ended third but failed to accumulate enough points to qualify among the eight best third-place teams.

Several Uruguay players were in tears after the final whistle, while many fans booed the team as it left the field.

One of the most anticipated matches of the group stage produced few clear scoring opportunities.

"I'm very proud of all the work that we have done," Baena said. "We competed very well."

Uruguay appealed strongly for a penalty late in the match after Federico Viñas went down inside the box, but no foul was awarded.

Tempers flared in stoppage time when Uruguay's Agustín Canobbio was sent off for a tackle on Spain defender Paul Cubarsí. Teammates escorted Canobbio off the field, and he returned after the final whistle to confront the referee.

Uruguay, World Cup champion in 1930 and 1950, entered the decisive group match amid reports of dressing-room unrest following draws against Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde. Uruguayan media reported dissatisfaction among some players with Bielsa.

Spain, seeking its second World Cup title, opened the tournament with a surprising 0-0 draw against Cape Verde before defeating Saudi Arabia 4-0. La Roja have not advanced beyond the round of 16 since winning their only World Cup title in 2010.

Spain forward Lamine Yamal, who entered the tournament recovering from a left hamstring injury, again failed to play a full match. The 18-year-old was substituted for Ferran Torres in the 76th minute after also being withdrawn at halftime against Saudi Arabia and appearing as a second-half substitute against Cape Verde.

Uruguay midfielder Manuel Ugarte was forced off with an apparent knee injury late in the first half. He was receiving treatment on the field when Spain scored and was eventually taken off on a stretcher.

King Felipe VI of Spain was among the crowd of 45,065 at Estadio Akron.

A moment of silence was observed before kickoff in memory of the victims of the back-to-back earthquakes that struck Venezuela late Wednesday.

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