Uruguay are on their way to the World Cup, though they still have to play another match to get there. The home leg of their intercontinental playoff is merely a formality after their 5-0 win away to Jordan, which featured four different goal-scorers. None of the goals were scored by Luis Suarez or Diego Forlan, and Edinson Cavani didn't score until the very end of the match.
Jordan vs. Uruguay: Final score 0-5, Celeste are heading to Brazil
Uruguay were big favorites to advance from their intercontinental playoff, but most expected Jordan to put up a bit more of a fight in the first leg.
Buda Mendes
Mohammad Shatnawi started in goal for Jordan in the absence of injured veteran goalkeeper Amer Shafi, which perhaps proved decisive. Both of Uruguay's first half goals came off errors that Shafi might not have made if he was healthy and in net.
Even though Cavani didn’t score from open play, he did have a big part in both of his country’s first half goals. He helped to set up the opener in the 22nd minute with a header on goal after a cross by Christian Stuani. Shatnawi stopped his shot, but could only parry it into the path of Maxi Pereira, who scored with a sliding finish.
Just before halftime, Stuani found a goal of his own. Off a throw-in, Cavani made an excellent dummy run that let the ball run to Lodeiro, who hit a diagonal pass to the back post. Stuani was waiting and finished to the near post with a very ordinary shot that Shatnawi should have stopped.
Ahmad Hayel nearly got his team back into the tie in the 52nd minute when he was played through on goal, but he missed a one-on-one from inside the box. It was the best chance of the game for Jordan, who sorely missed attackers Amer Deeb and Hassan Abdel-Fattah.
Lodeiro finished off the tie in the 69th minute, scoring from 15 yards out in the center of the box after picking up a pass from Cavani. Cristian Rodriguez added another in the 78th minute, tapping in a cross from Pereira. Edinson Cavani put the cherry on top late, curling in a brilliant direct free kick to finish off the scoring.
The sides meet again in Uruguay in a week, where Oscar Tabarez will be able to experiment with his team if he wants to.
Jordan: Shatnawi, Aqel, Khatab, Zahran (Bawab 53’), Adnan, Al Bashir, Murjan, Al Saify (Al Laham 59’), Bani Attlah (Bani Khaled 65’), Hayel, Hassan
Goals: None
Uruguay: Silva, Lugano, Godin, M. Pereira, Caceres, Rios, Lodeiro (A. Pereira 70’), Rodriguez, Stuani (Ramirez 70’), Cavani, Suarez (Forlan 81’)
Goals: M. Pereira (22’), Stuani (42’), Lodeiro (69’), Rodriguez (78’), Cavani (90’)
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