FIFA World Cup 2010: Uruguayans Welcome Football Stars
After an outstanding performance in the football World cup, South Americans Uruguay reached home to a rapturous welcome.
The two time champions finally performed at the world cup after a long gap of 30 years, when the team reached the quarter-finals.
This time around, they had to settle for the fourth spot in the tournament behind three time champions Germany who edged them out 3-2 in cliff-hanger at Port Elizabeth.
Team captain Diego Forlan, was the hero for the tiny South American nation winning the golden ball award for his brilliant run in the tournament, which included some magical goals including one in the third position play-off.
Through out the tournament the team looked full of determination holding off tougher opponents like France and Ghana before losing to the Netherlands in the semi-final by the odd goal in five.
Upon their arrival in Montevideo thousands of euphoric fans chanted slogans in the favour giving them a rousing welcome.
The home fans saw their performance as the perfect tonic for the sport after the national team left behind decades of frustration and recovered part of their past soccer glory in the first ever football world cup to be staged in Africa.
The South Americans home to just over three million people, won the Cup in 1930 and 1950, but hadn't made it to the quarter-finals since 1970.
The Uruguayans were in a festive mood as they celebrated their team’s special achievement in the toughest international tournament.
"It was an excellent campaign because we had to play against referees slanted against us. But we showed we could play without hitting people, like a team and play offensive soccer. We were able to finish fourth, which for us is like finishing first," said one fan.
"(Diego) Forlan was the best, the best. He deserved the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball and everything golden. They gave one to someone else because it was too much to give him everything, but he was the best by far," added another fan.
"Excellent. It was the best they could have done. They left everything on the field and played for the country. We don't see that often, but, well, I'm very pleased," said one ecstatic fan.
The President of Uruguay Jose Mujica joined his countrymen in the celebrations claiming that the football team members were national heroes, who had done remarkably well in tough circumstances to stamp their class in the tournament after thirty years.
Mujica presided over an event attended by thousands, held outside the national congress; the president also lauded the team for their composure under pressure and thanked them on behalf of the nation.
"This country recognizes the players not just as handsome, but as being brave, maintaining their composure, their grandeur, and they gave us the hope to dream again. Thank you. In the name of the entire Uruguayan nation, thank you," he said.
The performances of the team greatly impressed the national coach Oscar Tabarez, who said that the team made a great effort during the tournament. They were united in their cause of doing the very best for their nation, and more importantly re-instate their lost image as a football power house.
The Uruguayans were the only Latin American nation to progress to the last four, after the more fancied Argentina and Brazil crashed out in the quarter-final stage of the tournament.
"We are not just left with the results to give value to what we do. Success is not just from results, but from the difficulties overcome to obtain them and the constant struggle, with the spirit to face challenges and the valour to overcome them," he said.
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