Uruguay 2010 World Cup Preview: Reclaiming A Piece Of History

Winners of two World Cups in generations' past, La Celeste of Uruguay have had to come to grips with life as a small footballing nation. Whereas a country with a population of less than four million could be a world power in 1950 (the last time Uruguay won the World Cup), soccer's status as the world's game means the bigger countries of the world are pouring resources into the sport. What's more, whereas few nations beyond Europe and South America were equipped to compete internationally sixty years ago, now every populated continent has a soccer power.

While these facts of the world mean Uruguay is unlikely to ascend to their previous heights, it makes their recent accomplishments even more remarkable. True, counting South Africa, Uruguay has only qualified for two finals in the last twenty years, but they have made it to the semifinals of the last four Copa Américas. Despite having fewer people than Puerto Rico, Uruguay still sports a pair of world class strikers and two near-world class central defenders. All this from a country that has about the same number of people as Connecticut.

On June 6, 2009, that all changed, as Brazil came to Montevideo an trounced Uruguay. The 4-0 win was not only Brazil's first meaningful victory in Uruguay, it was the first of a three match slide that say the Uruguayans drop expected points at Venezuela (2-2) and bottom-dwelling Peru (0-1). Uruguay got strong wins versus Colombia (3-1) and at Ecuador (2-1), but in a win-and-in match with Argentina in Montevideo for the fourth and final CONMEBOL qualifying spot, Uruguay lost 0-1 to a Mario Balotti, 84th minute goal.

The only striking tandem in the World Cup that has a claim to being better than Diego Forlán and Luis Suárez is Spain's duo of Fernando Torres and David Villa. Forlán won Spain's Pichichi in 2008-09 and followed that performance by leading Atlético Madrid to the 2009-10 Europa League title, while Luis Suárez has been good for more than a goal per game for Ajax in the Netherlands. The duo's capabilities were best displayed in Uruguay's trip to Ecuador late in qualifying, when a second half, go-ahead goal by the hosts was undone by two sudden, late goals from the Uruguayan stars.

If things beak right, Uruguay could win their group. Regardless if they finish first or second, with Group A paired against Group B in the Round of 16, Uruguay will be hard-pressed to make it past the Round of 16. Perhaps they can find some fortune, win the group, and get either South Korea or an upstart from B - a team they could conceivably beat. That could put La Celeste in the quarterfinals.