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In these final FIFA dates earlier than the World Cup squads are introduced, a lot of the coaches are merely ticking over, having fun with the prospect to get the group collectively and taking a look at fringe choices, with the fundamental plan for Qatar already effectively established.
This ought to be very true of the South Individuals. Because the center of 2019 they’ve performed two variations of the Copa America plus eighteen rounds of World Cup qualifiers — greater than sufficient aggressive video games to whip their workforce into form. That’s definitely true of Brazil, Argentina and Ecuador.
Nevertheless it doesn’t apply to Uruguay. Diego Alonso was solely appointed as coach on the finish of final 12 months. He nonetheless has a number of laborious work to do and a number of large selections to take, which makes Uruguay’s friendlies in opposition to Iran and Canada among the many most attention-grabbing encounters of the subsequent few days.
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Alonso was introduced in after the tip of the epic 15-year reign of Oscar Washington Tabarez, below whose calm steering Uruguay returned to soccer’s high desk. In hindsight, it may need been higher had Tabaez stepped down after Russia 2018. However it’s straightforward to grasp why he was seduced into staying.
The highway to Qatar would coincide with the footballing maturity of the brand new, shiny midfielders — Federico Valverde and Rodrigo Bentancur — and it could even be a final hurrah for the veteran pillars of his aspect — the likes of Luis Suarez, Edinson Cavani and Diego Godin, plus Fernando Muslera and Martin Caceres. On paper it regarded fantastic. On the pitch there have been issues.
The important thing query — one which flummoxed Tabarez and now confronts Alonso — is learn how to get the steadiness proper. How most of the veterans will be fielded collectively?
Tabarez by no means discovered a solution, and was additional undone by a mixture of accidents and a merciless run of fixtures. Uruguay appeared effectively on target for Qatar till they needed to play Argentina dwelling and away, and Brazil away, plus the dreaded journey to the acute altitude of La Paz to face Bolivia. 4 defeats, three of them heavy, compelled a change.
The fixtures have been kinder to Alonso, who sealed Uruguay’s World Cup place with wins over Paraguay, Venezuela and Peru. The group opponents in Qatar — South Korea, Portugal and Ghana — will show way more difficult.
Alonso is effectively conscious that the workforce that he chosen to qualify for the World Cup can be totally different from the aspect he sends out within the event. The subsequent few days ought to make these variations clearer in his thoughts.
Uruguay’s captain, chief and centre-back, Godin, is clearly in decline, and has run into bodily issues which have dominated him out of this month’s video games. Earlier this 12 months Alonso made positive that Godin was well-protected on the sector. However does he even have to be chosen?
Barcelona‘s Ronald Araujo could possibly be moved from proper again to his extra pure centre-back place. A partnership of Araujo with Jose Maria Gimenez seems attention-grabbing. Gimenez has needed to pull out of those video games with an harm, giving Alonso the prospect to provide loads of defensive duty to Araujo because the senior centre-back in these two matches. If match, Godin will certainly go to the World Cup. However maybe as substitute quite than first alternative.
And who will play in objective? Muslera was injured at the beginning of the 12 months, and the home-based Sergio Rochet stepped in. He’s a reliable goalkeeper. However there’s a stiffness about him meaning he won’t ever be world class. Will Muslera be recalled, or does Alonso preserve religion with Rochet?
On the different finish of the sector, Cavani has been overlooked of this squad. He’s being given time to regain match health at Valencia, and can absolutely go to the World Cup. However in what capability? There’s a rising recognition that Uruguay can now not discipline Cavani and Suarez collectively — considered one of them wants to attend on the bench.
However what about Darwin Nunez? Can he play alongside one of many veterans? Or are Uruguay higher off abandoning 4-4-2? There’s a feeling that Uruguay’s midfielders — most likely one of the best half of the present aspect — perform higher with one other system, one which permits them to have three within the centre of the pitch, plus a flying winger to stretch the opposing defence.
With two months to go to the massive kick off, Uruguay have some severe selections to take — not nearly personnel but additionally concerning the form and the general concept of the aspect. Heat-up video games in opposition to Iran and Canada have seldom been so necessary.