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URUGUAY TEAM PROFILE
posted May-25 | 141 hits
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IT HAS taken 19 years for Oscar Tabarez to return to the World Cup. In Italia 90 he was undone by the home nation. |
Now, finally, after trawling his way around South America and Europe with 10 different clubs - he was briefly in charge at AC Milan - 'El Maestro' (so called because he used to be a teacher) is ready for his defining moment in South Africa next year.
The 62-year-old has a Che Guevara saying, 'one must toughen oneself without ever losing tenderness,' hanging in his house.
He has certainly had to harden himself considerably during a qualifying campaign that almost imploded before play-off joy.
Now he must add the same to a country who have won the World Cup twice as many times as England.
He has self belief, but that has yet to fully transfer itself into his players.
DANGER MAN:
No one will forget misfiring striker Diego Forlan who struggled desperately to adapt to life at Old Trafford - it took 27 games for goal number one to arrive.
However the five years since his departure have not gone unnoticed.
Since quitting Manchester United, the 30-year-old has plundered more than 100 goals in the Primera Liga, and has flirted with returns to the Premier League.
But in 2007 he stepped into Fernando Torres' shoes at Atletico Madrid for 18 million euros, and picked up the league's top scorer award at the end of the last campaign with 32 goals in 33 games.
Forlan has similarly shone on the international stage where he has bagged 22 goals for his country in 58 appearances.
He knows this is probably his last chance to prove his ability on the very highest stage the game can offer.
Even at 30 he still has pace and fragile England will not look forward to facing a player who has insider knowledge on how they operate.
ROUTE TO SOUTH AFRICA:
Uruguay did it the hard way, finalising the last spot in the finals when they defeated Cost Rica two-one on aggregate over two legs in a play-off, taking the second-leg 1-0.
They lost twice against both Brazil and Argentina and finished fifth in their qualifying group.
WORLD CUP:
1930: Winners
1950: Champions
1954: Fourth
1962: Round one
1966: Quarter-finals
1970: Quarter-finals
1974: Round one
1986: Round one
1990: Round one
2002: Round one.
WORLD CUP HIGHLIGHT:
Won the first ever World Cup. You can't argue with that one.
COUNTRY POPULATION: 3.3 million
NUMBER OF PROFESSIONAL TEAMS: 38
NATIONAL BEER: Pilsen |
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