FIFA World Cup 2010 – 10 facts about Uruguay
10) Two-time World Cup winners:
A Uruguayan historian once said, “Other countries have their history and Uruguay has its football”. It is true that Uruguay has won the 1930 and 1950 World Cup’s proving that they are no push overs in international football. The Uruguayan team in the first half of the 20th century was definitely the best football team in the world. They won an Olympic gold medal in 1924 and 1928 and went ahead to clinch the first football World Cup in 1930, when they hosted the cup and won against fellow South American team Argentina with a thumping 4-2 score line. They could not travel across the Atlantic Ocean in the next World Cup to defend their title. As a result, Uruguay is still criticized over the fact that they were not part of the World Cup that was held in Italy. They did not even partake in the 1938 World Cup and finally made a comeback in 1950 where they defeated the host nation Brazil in a very dramatic match to become the World Champions for a second time in their history.
9) World Cup quarterfinal appearances:
Uruguay has reached the quarterfinal stage in the ongoing South Africa 2010. However, statistics support their entry into the final 8 of a FIFA World Cup. The country has made it to the quarters on three different occasions - in 1954 and 1970 in which they managed to reach the semi-finals. Eventually, they lost the semis and finished on the fourth spot on both occasions. The 1970 team was defeated by an impressive Brazil team in the semi-final with the final score line 3-1. In 1966, Uruguay was beaten in the semi-finals by West Germany. In four appearances since 1970, the Uruguayans failed to advance beyond the second round of the World Cup. This year however, they have made history and have come out on top, becoming the first country to qualify for the quarterfinals in South Africa 2010.
8) Fastest sending off in the history of the World Cup:
In the FIFA World Cup of 1986, a very impressive Uruguay side had to draw against Scotland in order to qualify for the next round. The team indicated the Scottish about their plans on how they were planning on drawing the match by earning the fastest red card in World Cup history. It was earned by Jose Baptista in the 56th second of the match. Later, there was a brutal challenge on Gordon Strachan and by playing a brutal game, the Uruguayans qualified for the next round.
7) Oscar Tabarez’s second chance at the World Cup:
Uruguay’s coach has a lot of experience which is why he is trying to win the World Cup for Uruguay in his second attempt. Oscar’s first attempt came when he visited Italy in 1990 but the team was eliminated by the host nation in the first round. The Uruguayan has coached Brazilian club Boca Juniors along with Italian club Inter Milan for a short period. This year round, the experienced coach is trying to get his hands on the World Cup for the second time in his life.
6) Players leaving for home:
Out of the 23-man squad, only two players from Uruguay play in the domestic league. The players include Martin Silva and Egidio Arvelao. Martin Silva is a keeper and Egidio Arvelao is a midfielder in a Uruguayan club. Out of the squad, 15 players are linked with European clubs, including their number 10 striker Diego Forlan, who plays for the Spanish club Athletico Madrid. The remaining 6 players have inked deals in South America.
5) Top Scoring Strikers:
Luis Suarez and Diego Forlan are the main threats for opposition sides in South Africa 2010. Out of a total of five, 3 goals have been scored by Suarez and 2 goals came from the feet of Madrid star Diego Forlan. Both players were top scorers for their team while Forlan was the one who scored 2 goals against Fulham in the Europa League final to seal the deal. The 23-year-old Ajax captain has scored 49 goals in only 48 appearances for his club.
4) Diego Forlan’s father, Pablo Forlan:
Although Pablo Forlan did not play a match in the 1966 World Cup but he was a part of the Uruguayan squad. Therefore, Diego can take advice from his dad whenever he wants to. Pablo started in all three games in the 1970 World Cup and the team did not manage to win even a single match and was eliminated in the first round.
3) Four number Ones:
The Uruguayans played four different goalkeepers during their World Cup qualifiers in South America. Their first choice was Sebastian Viera but his crucial error against Brazil cost him his number one shirt and it was taken by Fernando Muslera. However, Uruguayan goalkeepers Juan Castillo and Fabian Carini were also considered as the number ones for the team.
2) Captain Fantastic:
Uruguay’s captain Diego Lugano has been the “mister fantastic” for his team. He is undoubtedly the best defender in South America at the moment. His amazing performances at the back have made them victorious in the group stages of the FIFA World Cup 2010. They did not concede even a single goal throughout South Africa 2010 which proves that Uruguay’s defence is solid. He was the captain of the Brazilian club Sao Paulo when they won the World Club championship in 2005.
1) Nicknames:
The Uruguayan players have some of the best nicknames in FIFA World Cup 2010. Goalkeeper Juan Castillo is famously known as the wall because of his amazing performances before the World Cup. Sebastian Abreu is known as ‘El Loco’ as he scored an amazing goal in a crucial match against Costa Rica in the play-offs. Even their coach Oscar Tabarez has a nickname. He is famously known as ‘Maestro’ for his amazing tactics.
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