The Uruguay national team arrived in Miami late on Sunday after a travel ordeal ahead of its opening World Cup match against Saudi Arabia on Monday.

Uruguay pinned the blame on FIFA for their troubles flying from Mexico to Miami, yet they reportedly faced the threat of sanction if their head coach and captain could not make it to a mandatory press conference Sunday.

The original flight reportedly was not allowed to depart due to administrative issues, including some missing paperwork, and officials had to scramble to line up a new flight.

The Athletic reported that a member of the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) said FIFA was responsible for the traveling snafu. FIFA is in charge of all travel related to the 48-team World Cup.

Uruguay is training in Playa del Carmen, Mexico and held a practice on Sunday. When the traveling delegation reached the airport in Cancun, approximately 45 miles away, they learned the group was not authorized to enter the United States.

The AUF said that a second plane from South Florida was en route to pick up the squad, while players waited at a resort outside Cancun until its arrival.

“Due to problems beyond the control of the AUF, the departure from Mexico has been delayed,” the AUF said in a statement. “The squad is resting at the hotel. The new departure time set by FIFA is 4.15 pm.”

FIFA later released a statement to the Daily Mail and other outlets.

“Due to an airline permitting error in Mexico, the Uruguay national team’s departure from Cancun to Miami was delayed,” the statement said. “The airline has apologized for the inconvenience caused. FIFA remained in close contact with the Uruguay national team throughout their delay and worked alongside airport and operational partners to help expedite the process and minimize disruption to the team’s travel arrangements.”

Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa and team captain Jose Maria Gimenez missed Sunday’s originally scheduled press conference in South Florida due to the issue. The team’s press conference was pushed back to 8 p.m. ET, and the coach and captain were in attendance.

“The trip went well, we made the most of it and saw it in a positive light,” Gimenez said in Spanish. “We took the chance to rest at the hotel (in Cancun).”

Bielsa was asked what sort of disruption the flight snafu caused his team.

“No, the flight doesn’t cause any complications,” Bielsa said in Spanish before changing the subject to his team’s preparation in both the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo and Playa del Carmen.

“In Montevideo, the players had constant obligations, but they also had family time, which I felt was necessary.”

Uruguay and Saudi Arabia will play their first match of Group H at Miami Gardens, Fla. The other members of the group, Spain and Cape Verde, will play Monday in Atlanta.

The match between Uruguay and Saudi Arabia is slated for 6 p.m. ET, giving them less than 24 hours to settle in before kickoff.

–Field Level Media

Gavin Gallaher hit a tiebreaking two-run triple during a three-run seventh inning to help No. 5 North Carolina produce a 5-2 victory over No. 16 West Virginia on Sunday night in Men’s College World Series play at Omaha, Neb.

Owen Hull had two hits and one RBI and Carter French also had two hits for the Tar Heels (52-12-1), who will continue on in winner’s bracket play on Wednesday.

Right-hander Walker McDuffie (9-3) pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings of relief for North Carolina before running into trouble in the ninth. Right-hander Caden Glauber struck out both batters he faced for his fifth save.

Armani Guzman had two hits and one RBI and Brodie Kresser had two hits for West Virginia (46-16), which committed two errors during North Carolina’s three-run seventh-inning uprising. The Mountaineers will oppose Troy on Tuesday in an elimination contest.

At the outset of the seventh, Mountaineers third baseman Tyrus Hall and second baseman Kresser booted routine grounders in a span of three batters to set up the Tar Heels.

Gallaher then made West Virginia pay with a shot into the gap in right-center off Maxx Yehl (9-3) to score French and Jake Schaffner and give North Carolina a 4-2 lead. Hull followed with a grounded single up the middle for another run.

The left-handed Yehl allowed five runs (two earned) and eight hits over seven-plus innings. He had seven strikeouts and walked one.

North Carolina right-hander Ryan Lynch gave up two runs and five hits over 4 2/3 innings. He struck out two and walked two. McDuffie struck out four and gave up three hits and two walks.

Matt Ineich drew a one-out walk off McDuffie in the ninth and Kresser followed with a single to right-center. Glauber entered and struck out Ben Lumsden and fanned Hall looking to end it.

The Tar Heels scored twice in the first inning after loading the bases with one out. The first crossed when Erik Paulsen walked and the second came in on Cooper Nicholson’s infield out.

West Virginia got a run back in the third on Guzman’s RBI single. One inning later, a double-play grounder plated the tying run.

–Field Level Media

PHILADELPHIA — In his first World Cup match, 19-year-old Yan Diomande announced himself to the world, and so did his youthful Ivory Coast side in a 1-0 victory over Ecuador to open their World Cup campaign on Sunday.

The RB Leipzig wide man and reigning Bundesliga Rookie of the Season was Man of the Match in the Group E encounter, no small feat against an opponent that entered with 19 matches unbeaten, including 11 in the gauntlet of CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying.

“We know all about Yan Diomande,” said his manager Emerse Fae. “He’s an impactful player. He’s hard to play for opponents. He delivered an excellent match.”

While Diomande’s brilliant service in the first half and dribbling in the second didn’t lead to the decisive goal — even after Amad Diallo’s historic 90th-minute winner — it was hard not to think about what could be ahead for a player valued at about $105 million, according to the website Transfermarkt.

“He’s a great striker and his added value is very clear,” said fellow Ivorian forward Elye Wahi. “We’re very happy for the (award) he notched up.”

Despite appearing only twice in World Cup qualifying for “Les Elephants,” Fae entrusted Diomande with a start on the right flank in the Ivory Coast’s first World Cup match since 2014 and first World Cup victory against South American opposition.

It quickly became clear why, as he terrorized Ecuador’s back line and Arsenal fullback Piero Hincapie in particular over the opening 45 minutes.

Diomande’s best sequence in that role came on 35 minutes, when he picked up a ball at midfield, quickly rounded Hincapie and sent in a cross that Nicolas Pepe couldn’t finish after attempting a second touch to get the ball on his favored left boot.

After switching to the left following Diallo’s 56th-minute insertion, he tried to solve Ecuador’s stubborn rear guard himself.

In the 58th minute, he somehow split John Yeboah, Alan Franco and Moises Caicedo to enter the left side of the penalty area before firing high.

He nearly achieved the feat again in the late stages, before the Ivorians finally took advantage of the attention he commanded, with Wilfried Singo surging up the opposite flank to send in a low cross and Diallo dispatching a clinical finish.

–Ian Nicholas Quillen, Field Level Media