Focus On... URUGUAY!

URUGUAY

Manager: Óscar Tabárez

Previous Best: Champions (1930, 1950)

Likely Line-up (4-4-2)

Pos	Name	Age	Caps	Club
GK	Muslera*	27	60	Galatasary (TUR)
RB	Cáceres*	27	55 (1)	Juventus (ITA)
CB	Lugano*	33	92 (9)	Unattached
CB	Godín*	28	76 (3)	Atlético Madrid (ESP)
LB	Pereira*	29	88 (3)	Benfica (POR)
RM	Stuani	28	8 (2)	Espanyol (ESP)
CM	Lodeiro*	25	25 (3)	Corinthians (BRA)
CM	Arévalo*	32	42 (2)	Morelia (MEX)
LM	Rodríguez	28	71 (8)	Atlético Madrid (ESP)
ST	Suárez*	27	77 (38)	Liverpool (ENG)
ST	Cavani*	27	60 (20)	Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)

* Has appeared at a previous World Cup

Average Age: 28.4

Total Caps: 654

Best Odds: 33/1 (Victor Chandler, BetFred)
Player to Watch: Cristian Rodríguez

Following on from Ghana, the next blog in this series looks at the nation who sent Ghana out of the last World Cup, in the most controversial of circumstances.

For the first time in a generation, Uruguay go into the World Cup with genuine expectation rather than just hope. The last of their 2 World Cup victories was in the 1950 competition, also held in Brazil. Superstition over the venue of this competition, combined with their semi-final run in South Africa, have come together to engender real belief in their fans that they might just go all the way this time. They certainly have some exceptional players, but winning the World Cup might be asking a little to much of this side.

Fernando Muslera returns in goal for Uruguay for a second World Cup. Muslera went through their entire group phase without conceding a goal in 2010, and was the hero of the penalty shootout victory over Ghana, saving spot-kicks from John Mensah and Dominic Adiyiah. Now plying his trade with Galatasary, he is a certain pick for this competition.

Baring injuries Head Coach Óscar Tabárez will select a back 4 of Cáceres, Lugano, Godín and Periera. For the central defenders, Godín and Lugano, it has been a tale of 2 very different seasons. Godín won La Liga with Atlético Madrid, and scored in the Champions League final. Lugano meanwhile had a disappointing campaign with West Brom, and now finds himself going into the World Cup without a club. Nonetheless Lugano will partner Godín, and will captain the side. Both Godín and Lugano share the same basic weakness – pace. Uruguay will attempt to mitigate the risk of this by selecting two pacey fullbacks. Martin Cáceres of Juventus will be selected at right back, and Maxi Pereira of Benfica at left back. Uruguay will be relying heavily on their athleticism if they are not to be vulnerable to quick forwards.

Christian Stuani of Espanyol will line out on the right side of midfield. A striker by trade competition from the likes of Forlan, Suárez and Cavani means this role is the only one likely to secure him a place in the startng eleven.

In central midfield Egidio Arévalo and Nicolás Lodeiro will be returning for another World Cup, but Europeans are unlikely to have seen anything of either since South Africa. Loreiro spent 2 years at Ajax, but returned to South America in 2012 to join Botafogo, before joining Corinthians only yesterday for approx €1.5m. Lodeiro will be the more defensive of the pair. Arévalo meanwhile will venture forward more often, but is also primarily a defensive midfielder. He has had a somewhat nomadic existance since 2010, having brief spells at Palermo and Chicago Fire, before most recently joining Monarcas Morelia in the Mexican league.

photo - Ailura

Christian Rodríguez (left) of Atlético Madrid will play on the left of midfield. An unused substitute in the Champions League final, the wingers creativity and selflessness will be important to Uruguay's game as their superstar forwards.

Up front Suárez and Cavani will need no introduction to anyone reading this blog. Cavani, the most expensive player in French history at €64.5m, has scored 15 goals in 30 games for PSG in his debut season. He will lead the line for Uruguay, with Suárez given more freedom to roam around the pitch as he sees fit.

Nine of the starting eleven for Uruguay played in South Africa, and given that they reached the 3^rd place playoff in that competition they should easily have more World Cup experience than any other side in Brazil. However with that experience comes age. One would expect Uruguay to qualify from a group featuring poor England and Italy sides, and minnows Costa Rica, but as the tournament progresses age could catch up with them.