Salcido had restless nights before the event because he felt hosts South Africa would make life very difficult for them. He was pleased, then, to draw the opening match and proceed with Uruguay to the next round.
"We were knocked out in the second round in Germany 2006, so now we gun for the quarter-final spot," he says.
Salcido believes Brazil and Spain will be the teams to watch: "They never fail to rise up to the occasion when it matters most. And they also have good players who can turn on the heat for them at any given time," he says.
"Brazil have Kaka, while Spain have Fernando Torres - world class players. So this tournament will be between the two countries. There can also be Germany, who are underdogs going into this tourney. There can be other surprises as well as that's what football is after all."
Mexico face Argentina in the Last 16 on June 27 at Soccer City Stadium.
Mzwakhe Ngwenya
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