World Cup 2010, Mexico Vs. Uruguay Preview: Trying To Avoid Argentina
The likely response from Uruguay: stay tight at the back and rely on their stars to create goals in attack. Whether they can (or will) do so for ninety minutes will not only determine who wins Group A but also influence whether France or South Africa have a chance to make-up the goal difference.
Mexico, Going Forward: Uruguay has yet to be scored upon in this World Cup. Thinking back to their first two matches, it’s hard to remember points where wither France of South Africa truly threatened. For Fernando Muslera, Uruguay’s goalkeeper, it’s been an easy tournament, thanks in large part to the play of Diego Godin and the other Uruguay defenders.
Mexico has the ability to break the Uruguayans down, but there have been persistent questions about El Tri’s finishing. Perhaps that is why Javier Aguirre is considering the move from Guillermo Franco to Javier Hernández at striker. Regardless, Mexico will need a strong match from right wing Giovani dos Santos and a better performance from midfielder Gerardo Torrado - who has had a poor tournament thus far - if team is going to be the first to score against Uruguay.
Uruguay, Going Forward: This is all about Diego Forlán, Uruguay’s best player who will be serving as their number ten. Th Atléti star has two of the team’s three goals and will see almost all of the build-up go through him as he provides the line between stout defense and capable (if often silent) attack.
For Mexico, this is where the play of Rafa Marquez becomes a godsend. Marquez has stepped out from central defense and assumed a defensive midfielder’s role, one to which has has fully adjusted in this tournament. He will be the play most influential in disrupting Forlán, and having played against the Uruguayan for years in La Liga, the Mexico captain has the experience to do so.
How This Match Turns: At any point, Oscar Tábarez can flip a switch and have Uruguay play the same way they did against France - very conservatively, not necessarily holding out for a draw, but sacrificing contributing player to attack and relying on the likes of Forlán and Luis Suárez to create on their own. If Tábarez does this, the match will look a lot like Uruguay-France. Doubts over whether Uruguay can hold-out for ninety minutes are the only reasons why La Celeste, leading the group coming into this match, won’t start bunkered.
