No Cinderella Story For South Africa: Uruguay Dominates Bafana Bafana, 3-0

Five days after sitting back for ninety minutes in a 0-0 draw with France, Uruguay got a brace from Diego Forlan and a stoppage time goal from Alvaro Periera to beat hosts South Africa 3-0.

The win takes Uruguay to the top of Group A with four points, while South Africa stays at one point, even with Mexico and France, those two teams to face each other tomorrow.

Four minutes into stoppage time, midfielder Àlvaro Pereira redirected a Luis Suárez cross home from three yards out to give Uruguay a 3-0 lead.

Luis Suárez received a pass on the right side of the penalty area. One touch from Suárez and a cross to the far post saw an unmarked Pereira left-foot the ball into an undefended goal.

Itumeleng Khune drew an red card from Massimo Busacca when he was adjudicated to have brought down Luis Suárez in the six yard box, taking away a goal scoring opportunity. Diego Forlan converted the resulting penalty kick past substitute goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs to put Uruguay ahead 2-0 over the hosts, South Africa.

Suárez has been played a ball behind the defense, at the end of the six yard box, and touched it around the oncoming Khune. Khune extended his left leg, appearing initially to make contact with Suárez as the Uruguayan striker went down. Replays were inconclusive concerning the contact, but the referee immediately pointed to the spot and brandished the red card.

Diego Forlan, playing in a withdrawn role from forwards Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, has been the dominant player of the first half, creating scoring opportunities for La Celeste and adding the team’s first goal of the tournament.

Forlan’s goal from 22 yards out resulted from a deflection, sending the ball looping over South African goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune for the match’s only goal.

A yellow card shown midfielder Kagisho Dikagcoi means the South Africa holding midfielder will miss Bafana Bafana’s next match against France.

The Fulham player slid late into a midfield challenge and was shown yellow by Massimo Busacca.

Diego Forlan scored Uruguay’s first goal of South Africa 2010 in the 24th minute against South Africa, giving Uruguay a 1-0 lead.

Forlan struck a ball from 22 yards out that went off a Bafana Bafana defender and looped into the left of goal, with South Africa goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune being caught off-balance as the ball looped over him and into goal.

Uruguay, going forward: Earlier this week came word that Oscar Tabáraz would probably put Edinson Cavani in the starting lineup, most likely for Ignacio Gonzalez. Gonzalez is a midfielder was some limited creative flair, while Cavani is an striker, coming off a strong season for Palermo in Italy’s Serie A. Two implications:

One of the drawbacks for Tábarez to going with this approach would be less of a presence in midfield, but against a South Africa team that seems to play best when trying to absorb the other team’s attacks, this approach could work very well. With the power of his three strikers, Tábarez will not have to commit much to attack to think he can find goals, and if Bafana Bafana are going to allow Uruguay to play to them, he will not need such strong distribution in the middle of the pitch.