World Cup Team Guide: Uruguay

Uruguay / Dave Farrar / 12 May 2010 / Leave a comment Free £25 Bet

Diego Forlan hasn't stopped scoring for club and country since he left Man Utd

This is Uruguay's first appearance at the World Cup since 2002 and this time round they're armed with skilful and pacy strikers in addition to the uncompromising defenders you'd normally associate with them. This is a team with plenty of potential....

"You can pick holes in the way that Uruguay qualified, but apart from a loss in Peru at altitude, their only defeats were against Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. They came close to making a mess of the play off against Costa Rica, but I’m happy to put that down to nerves rather than a lack of quality, and I believe that they can show their true potential in South Africa."

It's strange how your first impression of a country's performance at an international tournament can influence the way that you think about them in future years. I can remember watching Uruguay implode appallingly in Mexico in 1986 and, having always expected them to do likewise in subsequent years, they've frequently lived up to that reputation.

This is only the second World Cup final tournament for which they've qualified since 1990 and yet they have a chance of making it through this time, given some of the talent at their disposal, and the identity of the man in their dugout.

You can pick holes in the way that Uruguay qualified, but apart from a loss in Peru at altitude, their only defeats were against Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. They came close to making a mess of the play off against Costa Rica, but I'm happy to put that down to nerves rather than a lack of quality, and I believe that they can show their true potential in South Africa. And if Oscar Tabarez gets his tactics right, then their potential is limitless.

Aside from the key players that I've mentioned below, they can call upon the wonderfully gifted Edinson Cavani of Palermo and the midfield organiser Walter Gargano of Napoli. They're not wonderful defensively, but probably good enough to give their attacking players a platform on which to perform. And the likes of Diego Forlan, Luis Suarez and Abreu are capable of making waves. I feel that those of you who are looking for a decent priced outsider for the World Cup could do an awful lot worse than Uruguay at [140.0]

COACH: Oscar Washington Tabarez

Oscar Washington Tabarez was the man in charge when they reached the last 16 in Italia 90, and his experience will be vital if they are to progress here. Tabarez has been around, and anyone who has been in charge of both AC Milan and Boca Juniors will be more than capable of coping with the pressure of a World Cup. Uruguay's potential pitfall will be the failure of a squad of pretty big egos to gel, but the gruff and businesslike Tabarez, the anti-Domenech if you like, could be the man to guide them to success.

Key Players

Diego Forlan

It's become something of a cliché to say that Diego Forlan is a far better player than his Manchester United days would suggest, but when you see Forlan in action in La Liga you can't help but feel that United let HIM down rather than the other way around. Forlan is pure class, a brilliant finisher, whose recent record in Spain speaks for itself, and who always looks a far more dangerous player for Atletico Madrid than the more highly rated Kun Aguero. Forlan takes penalties for Uruguay, and finished as their top scorer in qualifying, one ahead of Sebastian Abreu. Abreu's goals, though, came against weak teams and he is unlikely to flourish here. Forlan is banker material to finish as Uruguay's top scorer.

Luis Suarez

I'm not going to apologise for the striker overload in Uruguay's key players. Those of you who hawkishly follow the European Leagues every weekend will be more than familiar with the name of Suarez, who has proved to be an unbelievable signing for Ajax. His strike rate since signing for the Dutch side is not too far away from a goal a game, and at just 23, he will get a move to another European giant sooner rather than later.

Cristian Rodriguez.

For the purposes of this preview, I'm going to forget that Uruguay have a defence. The two strikers named above need a supply line, and the most obvious source of goals is the left winger Cristian Rodriguez, who you may remember from Porto's stuttering progress in the Champions League. He has pace and excellent crossing ability, and will need to be on song if Uruguay are to have any chance of performing well. Full marks to any of you who spot a commentator linking his love of architecture with his ability to create masterpieces in front of goal. It will happen, you know it will.

Recommended Bet: Uruguay to Qualify from Group A @ [2.16]

Tags: Diego Forlan, Oscar Tabarez, Uruguay, Uruguay footballers, Uruguay world cup fixtures, World Cup teams, World cup tips