FOOTBALL IS COMING HOME » Uruguay

Luis Suarez kicks it with the Kids in Kimberley

David Patrick Lane — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 02:16:01 +0000

Luis Suarez has been banned for 8 games in the English Premier League for the alleged racist abuse of Patrice Evra. The nature of the exchange between Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra has not yet been disclosed. Luis Suarez is appealing. Here is a brief reminder of a less well known contribution Luis Suarez made to the World Cup in South Africa. A post on Luis Suarez will follow once details of the accusation against Suarez have been released by the English FA.

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60,000 Euros and 10 Post-Match Pizzas with Mozzarella

David Patrick Lane — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 09:26:01 +0000

Uruguay’s fee for materializing on the Ice in Estonia.

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Top Ten: Uruguay v Netherlands

Peter Alegi — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 07:58:51 +0000

Top 10 Reasons to Support Uruguay:

10. The population of Uruguay is 3.3 million people, about the size of Greater Cape Town.

9. The first black international in either the World Cup or the Olympics was Uruguay’s José Leandro Andrade.

8. Uruguay claims four world titles — two World Cups (1930, 1950) and two Olympic golds (1924, 1928).

7. Estadio Centenario in Montevideo was the first monumental stadium built outside Britain (capacity 100,000). It was finished just in time to host the first World Cup final in 1930.

6. The United States won third place in Uruguay in 1930 — its best ever World Cup result.

5. When Uruguay defeated Brazil in front of 200,000 people at Rio’s Maracanã stadium in 1950, ‘there was sadness so great, so profound,’ Pelé said, ‘that it seemed like the end of a war with Brazil the loser and many people dead.’

4. Hungary’s ‘Golden Team’ defeated Uruguay 4-2 (aet) at the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland — a match remembered for its compelling drama and bone-crunching violence.

3. I don’t remember the 1970 World Cup, the last time Uruguay reached the semis.

2. Led by Forlan and Suarez, heirs of Schiaffino and Ghiggia, Uruguay 2010 bends, curls, tackles, and handles every obstacle in its way!

1. Eduardo Galeano, born and raised in Montevideo, penned my favorite football book of all time: Soccer in Sun and Shadow.

Top 10 Reasons to Support the Netherlands

10. The Dutch East India Company is dead.

9. Brilliant Orange by David Winner – a must-read about Dutch football and society.

8. Spending a lay-over on the way to South Africa at the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House, a transformative experience.

7. Van Basten, Rijkaard, Gullit — the Holy Trinity of post-Cruyff era.

6. The 1978 World Cup final between Argentina and the Netherlands (3-1, aet) was the first final I watched on TV.

5. The idea of Ajax, if not the reality of Total Football.

4. Van Basten’s goal against USSR in the 1988 European Championship final

3. The most consistently inspired and successful player of the year, at national team and club level: Wesley Sneijder.

2. The Netherlands have never won the World Cup.

1. Johann Cruyff — when I saw him in the film Il Profeta del gol I had the first of my ongoing revelations about the living cult of football. In his honor, I played with jersey number 14.

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Uruguay’s Opening Gambit

David Patrick Lane — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 09:33:30 +0000

The wires are reporting Oscar “El Maestro” Tabarez has already named his Uruguay team for the opening match against France on Friday. This is a classic opening gambit designed to take advantage of current French insecurities.

The French don’t know what they are doing in South Africa. “El Maestro” has just signaled the Uruguayans do. “The system we have chosen can adapt to the different things we could face against France,” said “El Maestro”.

Mauricio Victorino who plays for Universidad de Chile and midfielder Egidio Arevalo Rios (pictured above) who enforces the midfield for Penarol in Montevideo, are solid squad players, but not stars. So what is behind El Maestro’s opening gambit? What is he really saying by including Vicotorino and Rios? What is he really up to?

The reflex among some Uruguayan commentators and bloggers is to express disbelief and sigh. But El Maestro is thinking deep here, which is what he has to do if Uruguay are going to go deep into the tournament and win the World Cup.

Uruguay do not need stars to beat France is also the message here.

Uruguay carry a poor discipline reputation and must be cautious in their opening fixture. The referees need to be sized up. What would be the point of introducing the likes of Victorino and Rios in the knock out stages, as replacements for better players. The World Cup is about the making best use of your squad. El Maestro is already doing just that.

Napoli’s Walter Gargano will surely return to the team ahead of Rios when games are on the line and the calibre of opposition is higher. Gargano is capable of both kicking shins (as Forlan found out in training a few days ago) and unleashing belters from outside the box. Just Ask James Richardson.

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Uruguayan Ultras Descend on Cape Town II

David Patrick Lane — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 13:10:50 +0000

…with the blessing of Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

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Uruguayan Ultras Descend on Cape Town

David Patrick Lane — Sun, 30 May 2010 16:25:04 +0000

Albert Lutuli is installed as Honourary President of República Oriental del Uruguay!!!

Mvumbi looks like he’s feeling La Celeste!

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Your Uruguay Starter for Ten

David Patrick Lane — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:10:13 +0000

URUGUAY has 4 Stars on their shirts because…(“BUZZ…Jesus, Jones College, Cambridge”) because…Uruguay have been World Champions on 4 occasions: 1924, 1928, 1930 and 1950. The Gold Medalists of Paris and Amsterdam were recognized as World Champions by FIFA.

Uruguay has never played a fixture against 5 of the 2010 World Cup qualifiers. They are: Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, Greece, and Nigeria. It is possible for Uruguay to play against Greece and or North Korea in the 1st Round in South Africa for the first time. Los Charrúas will have to wait until the later rounds to get its claws into the Lions Indomptables, Les Éléphants and or the Super Eagles…Garra Charrúa!!!

Uruguay has beaten Argentina on 54 occasions, including the 1930 World Cup Final.

Uruguay has scored more goals against Argentina than any other qualifier. 213. Count them. Más goles! Menos culata tranplantes!

Uruguay has beaten Brazil on 20 occasions, including the final fixture of the 1950 World Cup Final. Uruguay’s victory ensured they lifted the World Cup in Brazil.

Uruguay is ranked 19th by FIFA, but is ranked 10th by Nate Silver, he of Soccer Power Index fame.

Uruguay has never beaten Algeria, Denmark, Germany, Honduras, Portugal, or Spain. Uruguay could face three of those nations in the first round.

Germany, Honduras, Uruguay and Portugal could be El Otro Grupo de la Muerte!

Slovenia is the smallest nation to qualify for a World Cup. Uruguay is the smallest to win a World Cup!

Uruguay has a one in three chance of facing hosts South Africa in the 1st Round.

Does Uruguay want to play the hosts? Probably. Of the other seeded nations, Uruguay only has a winning record against England.

Uruguay has played England on 10 occasions, winning 4, drawing 3.

Uruguay has played Germany on 8 occasions, losing 6, drawing 2.

Uruguay has played Italy on 6 occasions, winning 1, losing 2, drawing 3.

Uruguay has played the Netherlands on 2 occasions, winning 1, losing 1.

Uruguay has played Spain on 8 occasions, losing 2, drawing 5.

Uruguay fear no one. Uruguay has a reputation for thuggish tackling and extracurricular trickery. The post-dictatorial generation were the most accomplished violators, yet the “Dossier on Uruguay” remains stuck on 1970s and 1980s stereotypes. Uruguay deserves to have that recycled and tired tag torn from the narrative. South African will provide Uruguay with that opportunity.

Uruguay can win the World Cup. All Uruguayans believe Uruguay can win the World Cup. Winning the World Cup is a Uruguayan state of mind. It is this belief that gives Uruguay the edge over other qualifiers.

SOY CELESTE…SOY CELESTE…SOY CELESTE

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Silver Underestimates Slovakia

David Patrick Lane — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:56:50 +0000

Nate Silver is a box score genius. Nate Silver can call states, counties and wards like no other. But can Nate predict the winner of the World Cup?

Some of our global readers may find Nate Silver’s statistical offerings on “soccer” other worldly. Who is this four eyed American running the numbers on our game, I hear some of you dismissively spit. But can it be true one can only understand football if one starts drinking about eleven in the morning in a backstreet pub or bar in the vicinity of some corrugated contraption called a football ground. There has to be a middle ground. Nate Silver deserves the utmost respect. But you know among the remnants of ale, chips, pies and gravy that your guts can tell you something Nate’s numbers cannot.

Nate has promised to delve into football realm for some time. His arrival is most welcome. FIFA has improved its ranking system. FIFA’s seeds were the deserving form teams (though Silver has a minor objection preferring Portugal over Italy.) Still, Silver’s Soccer Power Index is the Snow Leopard of upgrades. It is on paper at least, the best ranking of international football.

But can the running of fun football statistics really predict winners with such scientific certitude. How can it, for example, adjust for the emergence of a Uruguayan midfield prodigy, the determination African Disapora players from random places like Honduras to perform at that higher level, or the late call up of that left back capable of both the beautiful football and the most horrendous crimes ever witnessed on a football field, where one No.3’s mis-kick can find the back of the net or break Beckham’s leg in three places, not to mention all the other shenanigans?

As noted here yesterday, random lady luck has smiled on Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. Each has a one in three chance of being grouped with South Africa, arguably the weakest host in the tournament’s history, though Switzerland, Spain and the USA have good cases for not being up to scratch when it was their turn.

Silver’s Theirry Henry is luck. Such luck will continue through today’s draw. Three nations will draw New Zealand. Then from that starting point Nate will run his regressions and look for his normal distributions and soon enough he will predict game and group winners and the ultimate winners of the World Cup. You would be wise to follow his word at the wide wonderful world of online turf accountants and soccer spreaders.

But a word of caution. If Nate nurtures the idea solely based on the numbers that England’s dream draw would include Algeria and Slovakia, then my guts filled with lashings of lham lhalou and lager humbly suggest he expand his data set.

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Pot Observations

David Patrick Lane — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:38:38 +0000

TEN POT OBSERVATIONS.

1. FIFA got the seedings right. Pot 1 seeds earned their ranking. France did not. France’s final appearance was four years ago.

2. Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay have come out of the pot alignment better than most. Each of the smaller South American nations will avoid the big five African qualifiers in the 1st Round.

3. Argentina and Brazil cannot avoid the African qualifiers from Pot 3. The seeds for two potential Groups of Death have now been sown. Has FIFA put Brazil at risk for an early bath?

4. The most frightening Group of Death would be: Brazil, Mexico, Côte d’Ivoire and Portugal.

5. The dark horse of Pot 2 is Honduras.

6. The tournament’s top scorer will probably find his country drawn against New Zealand in the 1st Round.

7. Slovenia will not be the dark horse of Pot 4. Slovakia might be.

8. South Africa need the luck of the draw more than most. The hosts will hope to be grouped with both New Zealand and Slovenia. So will every other team from Pots 1 and 3, for that matter.

9. Algeria could draw both France and Germany. The Desert Foxes will appreciate the luck of being thrown into that particular garlic and beer feed chicken coop.

10. Italy could renew some old acquaintances. North Korea can beat Italy, again. And Chile can beat Italy up, again.

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Los Charrúas on Twitter

David Patrick Lane — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 10:51:00 +0000

I will be Twittering on Uruguay for The Guardian during the World Cup draw in Cape Town.

Expect a heavy Uruguayan flavour in the coming hours. A virtual Dulce de Leche of Uruguayan football.

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