Between now and the opening ceremony, I'll be taking a look at the nations participating in this year's World Cup, an event which is slowly consuming me with excitement. Share my pain! Today it's my dark horse for the tournament, Uruguay.
The picture is for the ladies (hi mum), but the Uruguayan football team has traditionally had something for everyone. This tiny country, just across the River Plate from Argentina, arguably did more than anyone else to spread the gospel and discipline of football across South America. The British might have given their economic subjects the principles of the game, but it was Uruguay who first allowed players that weren't upper class and white to play it at a professional level, to represent a country that was as much theirs as it was anybody else's. For that they deserve our praise and thanks, nearly 100 years later. If only it was Uruguay who were opening the 2010 tournament with South Africa- that would have been a fitting symbol which even the cold marketing efficiency of FIFA couldn't have affected.
The golden age of Uruguayan football was a lifetime ago, beginning in 1924 with Olympic gold in Paris, and ending with the game that broke the heart of Brazil, the World Cup final of 1950. Globalisation and the growth of economic forces within the game meant that the decline of Uruguay was as inevitable as it was saddening, but thanks to those who preserve history, they will always have a special place in footballing culture.
How did they get there?
If history were the sole criteria, then Uruguay would qualify for each World Cup with ease. But this is a country of just three million people, and progress from the tough CONMEBOL group is no easy task. Uruguay missed out to Australia on penalties back in 2006, but by the time the 2010 qualifiers began, the process had been revamped, meaning that the 5th placed team from CONMEBOL would play the 4th placed team from CONCACAF. Costa Rica were a more favourable prospect than the Socceroos, and Uruguay secured a 2-1 aggregate victory.
Who's the coach?
Having been eliminated without winning a game in 2002, and having missed out altogether in 2006, Uruguay turned, as many nations do, to the safest pair of hands available, even if that meant appointing a man who had been out of management since 2002, and whose last international job had ended after the 1990 World Cup. Oscar Tabarez, or El Maestro (the Teacher) is best-known in his home country for quoting Che Guevara and Eduardo Galeano in press conferences, and his devotion to attacking football.
His main successes as a coach came in South America, where he won two Copa Libertadores, first with Penarol, and then with Boca Juniors. Italian fans may remember his disastrous spell in charge of AC Milan in 1996 (which ended after 22 games), but at home he is generally seen as the best man for the job. In a nation of football coaches, this is some accomplishment.
Ones to watch:
A glance at the Uruguay squad for their most recent friendly (a 3-1 away win against Switzerland) reinforces just how remarkable the level of talent is for such a small country. Diego Forlan, twice winner of the European Golden Boot. Ajax's Luis Suarez, the fantastically talented forward who will have his pick of Europe's elite clubs after the tournament. Nicolas Lodeiro, also of Ajax, a throwback to the elegant, diminutive number 10s of yesteryear. Palermo's Edinson Cavani, who is also being courted by a number of big Italian clubs, can only make the bench.
At the back, Diego Lugano is a muscular, powerful defender who would probably have moved to a bigger club than Fenerbahce were it not for injury. Alvaro Pereira and Maxi Pereira (no relation) are full-backs at Portugal's most successful clubs, Porto and Benfica...I'll stop listing, but to put it into perspective, Scotland has 2 million more inhabitants than Uruguay.
But my favourite Uruguayan is not a forward or a defender, rather he is a blend of traditional Uruguayan traits- power and a delicate eye for the ball. Walter Gargano has been instrumental in the evolution of Napoli over the past couple of seasons, and although he is unfussy and difficult to spot, he performs a similar task to Xavi Hernandez, acting as a metronomic force in the centre of the field, receiving the ball and distributing it with precise, perceptive passes. Uruguay's World Cup will depend on his success in influencing the game, and how well he can service the three forwards mentioned above.
How will they do?
See above, kind of. If Uruguay's star players perform to their potential, they are more than capable of topping Group A, and progressing well into the latter stages of the tournament. This is a genuinely exciting, attractive side to watch, and although they will slip under the radar of many pundits, I fully expect them to progress at least to the round of 16, where they could potentially meet their old neighbours from across the River Plate. That would be a match to savour, for the spectacle and for the history.
My prediction: Quarter-finals.
Previous Previews: South Africa, Mexico.
No comments:
Post a Comment