Uruguay will rely on attack
Uruguay will rely on attack
Posted: 2010-03-09 08:07
Uruguay coach Oscar Washington Tabarez will likely rely on his attack force to pull them through when La Celeste take on France, Bafana Bafana and Mexico in the World Cup in June.
The Uruguayan strikers were in top form when they easily beat Switzerland 3-1 in an international friendly earlier this month and indications are that Tabarez will be able to further strengthen his squad before they set up base in Kimberley in the first week of June.
However, the South Americans will be without their influential winger Cristian Rodriquez who will miss their first two matches, against France and Bafana because he still has to serve a two-match Fifa suspension.
The good news for the coach is that he has finally found an accurate set-piece taker in Nicolas Lodeiro. The Ajax Amsterdam also doubled as a creative playmaker in the game against the Europeans.
Following their impressive showing against Switzerland Tabarez is also likely to include playmaker Ignacio Gonzalez, who hasn´t been active for some time now.
But Gonzalez is a technically gifted player, and he could be the ideal link between midfield and attack.
Bafana players may get a taste of the Uruguayan strike power when they play against top Brazilian side Botafogo during the camp in Brazil.
Uruguay’s veteran striker Sebastian Abreu, who plies his trade there, has World Cup experience having turned out for his national side at the 2002 World Cup.
As of November 2009, Abreu stood only three goals short of Uruguayan all-time goalscoring record, held by Hector Scarone for 78 years.
A prolific goal scorer, Abreu has played for numerous clubs throughout the Americas (Uruguay, Argentina, Mexico and Brazil), also having an unsuccessful stint with Spain’s Deportivo de La Coruña and in Israel.
Discussing his choice of Kimberley as their home base Tabarez highlighted the city’s reputation as one of the safest in South Africa, as well as its relative small size, centric location and ample transportation options, as the main factors.
La Celeste will use the Griqua Stadium as their training ground during their stay. The venue is due to undergo changes in the coming months to fit the team’s needs.
The Uruguayan national team, who were the last South American team to qualify for the June showpiece after beating Costa Rica 2-1 on aggregate in a play-off, will stay at the Protea Hotel, located on the outskirts of the city.
They will travel the day prior to each match and return after it to their headquarters in the Diamond City.
: 2010-03-09 17:55
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