Futile Uruguay On The Ropes

History has categorized Uruguayan as battlers and muckers all over the pitch who use will more than skill in order to get a favorable result. Modern football have made this style of play somewhat obsolete. In order for a team to be successful, there is a need have a combination of talent, pace, and that aggresiveness that made Uruguay great.

On paper, Uruguay is one of the most talented teams in the region. Still there is a force in their idiosyncrasy that brings them back to their old-school ways. In their loss against eternal rivals Argentina in the oldest rivalry in the world, they demonstrated that. Let’s not leave all the blame on one end of the pitch. Argentina, with the exception of the pressure they placed prior to the two goals was all that they offered the near-full house at El Monumental in Buenos Aires.

This was one of the few matches at any level that never had any rhythm and all teams played with 11 players out of a miracle of God and permissive refereeing on the part of . Both Lionel Messi and Sergio Agüero scored, but there was nothing that indicated that they were dominating forces for Alfio Basile. The Albiceleste, much like their northtern neighbors are trying to find an identity. There has been no consistency on either side. Argentina was winless in their last five, while Uruguay had not been able to come up with back-to-back wins in this tournament.

But the focus needs to be placed on Uruguay as if their players would have shown up on offense, then Uruguay was going to draw even or probably win in Buenos Aires. It wasn’t a case of them playing bad alone. It was a case of them not being able to capitalize on their opponent’s lack of form.

Sebastián Abreu was left on an island by himself to fend off challenges from three defenders. The Uruguayan midfield decided to hit instead of play. Players like Pereira, Eguren, Pérez, and Rodríguez were looking more for fights than the goal defended by Carrizo. There was no logic to the way they attacked the Argentine goal. The only time they were able to come in and do some damage was on the Lugano goal and it was because Edinson Cavani came in for Jorge Fucile. Oscar Tabárez took out a defender early on in order to make something happen. For 66 minutes, Uruguay played a 3-4-3 and attracted Cavani attracted a great deal of attention to himself. That would lead to the Lugano goal. Outside of that, there was little that the Celestes brought about as far as threat was concerned. Time after time, with every impending second it became obvious that they wanted to make the game a street brawl, it was working as Argentina fell into the trap but they weren’t able to capitalize on it as they took their eye off the ball.

If there could be good news to all of this is that they remain in fifth place as Colombia weren’t able to pierce through the Paraguayan net. The Colombians were the only ones that were able to surpass them as of right now. Even if Ecuador win against Chile, the goal differential will favor the Orientales. Now it becomes all the more vital for them to head midweek to La Paz. Failure to do so will not make their fortunes as forgiving anymore. The second round is make or break if they plan on heading to South Africa especially after coming out empty-handed from El Monumental.

Music Video Code by Goal45.com

Argentina 2-1 Uruguay
ARG: Messi (5′), Agüero (12′)
URU: Lugano (39′)