June 26 (Reuters) - Spain coach Luis de la Fuente praised his side's resilience after a battling 1-0 win over Uruguay secured top spot in World Cup Group H, saying the players had coped with a physically demanding match in which they were pushed "to the limit".
Spain finished the group stage with five goals scored and none conceded, extending their unbeaten run to 34 matches and De la Fuente called it a mark of pride for his squad.
• Forward Yeremy Pino suffered what appeared to be a fracture and was
likely to be out of the tournament, while Nico Williams finished with minor discomfort, De la Fuente said
• The coach declined to criticise the referee, preferring to focus on his team's performance and said officials have tools such as VAR to manage difficult matches.
• On his squad's depth in midfield, De la Fuente said Pedri, Fabian Ruiz, Dani Olmo, Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi are all interchangeable depending on the opponent.
• He said Spain's main area for improvement was ball speed and fluidity of play, adding that defensively they were "very strong."
• "I have total confidence in this group. It is a team that wants to keep growing. We are on the right path, but every match from now on will be even more difficult," the coach added.
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City, additional reporting by Natalia Siniawski; Editing by Ken Ferris)
