Uruguay
Appearances at World Cups
Speaking of Uruguay, the debut World Cup in this South American country is what comes to our mind first. The Uruguayan squad was considered one of the strongest teams around the world then, and it's unlikely the title of champions at the World Cup at home surprised somebody. Uruguay missed the next two cups due to a boycott of France and Italy. But they got their title of world champions back in Brazil in 1950. Then, as much as the Uruguayans tried, they couldn't repeat the achievement of their grandfathers any more. A semi-final at the World Cup in SAR in 2010 is considered the best achievement in the last years.
The South Americans got to Russia second in qualification. Uruguay was far from the group's leader Brazil by 10 points. But this didn't impede them from booking seats at the World Cup. Especially the attack put a lot of effort. Uruguay scored 32 goals in 18 matches, while Edinson Cavani became the best forward with 10 balls with one goal in a penalty shootout. If Óscar Tabárez's players aren't expected a gold but at least repetition of the African result. Moreover, this World Cup is almost the last opportunity of the current bright generation to achieve something with the national team.
year | G | W | D | L | М | Total |
1930 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 15-4 | 1 |
1950 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 15-5 | 1 |
1954 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 16-9 | 4 |
1962 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4-6 | 3 rd in group |
1966 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2-5 | 1/4 |
1970 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4-5 | 4 |
1974 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1-6 | 4 th in group |
1986 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2-8 | 1/8 |
1990 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2-5 | 1/8 |
2002 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4-5 | 3 rd in group |
2010 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 11-8 | 4 |
2014 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4-6 | 1/8 |
Total | 51 | 20 | 12 | 19 | 80-72 | - |
Head coach and best player
71-year-old Óscar Tabárez's has been chairing the national team of Uruguay for 10 years already after getting the national squad of the country in 2006. The specialist has been the best coach of South America twice. In 2011, he was recognised as the best coach of the year around the world. The Uruguayans got the fame of strong fighters back under Tabárez and once won Copa América. The World Cup in Russia is likely to be the last big competitions where the specialist will go as the team´s coach, Óscar's health isn't good now.
But the squad's leaders are in the prime of their life and crave for proving the world the attack of Uruguay is able to pull the team to unbelievable summits. PSG and Barcelona forwards Edinson Cavani and Luis Suárez know how to score goals first-hand. They have scored more than 60 balls in total at their clubs this season. The course of the Uruguayans in the tournament will depend on these forwards' health. If both players come to Russia in the best conditions, it will be difficult to stop them.
- Preliminary squad: Muslera – Pereira, Godín, Coates, Silva – Arévalo, Vecino, Sánchez – Suárez, Cavani, Stuani.
Base camp and cities
Borsky sports centre in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast will become the base camp of the national team during the World Cup. The Uruguayans will fight against group stage rivals in three cities. Tabárez's players will play the first match against Egypt in Yekaterinburg. Then Saudi Arabia will wait for Uruguay in Rostov-on-Don, while the final match against Russia will be in Samara.