FIFA World Cup 2022: Uruguay Team Analysis This Season

To say that Uruguay is a soccer powerhouse is an understatement. The country has won 15 Copa América titles and two World Cups, including the first World Cup in 1930. Uruguay has only won one major championship (the 2011 Copa América) since the turn of the century. Therefore, this achievement may be underappreciated. Every one of La Celeste’s last three World Cup appearances has ended in the round of 16, but their best performance in recent history was a run to the quarterfinals in 2010.

The manager of Uruguay’s last three World Cup appearances, Luis Tabárez, was fired in December because of the country’s dismal performance in World Cup qualifying, which featured only two wins in the first seven qualifiers and four straight losses. Diego Alonso, formerly of Inter Miami, was brought in as manager, and the squad won four consecutive qualifying matches, earning a trip to Qatar. Under Alonso’s guidance, La Celeste has gone 7-1 with just one setback, a 1-0 friendly defeat to Iran in September. And Alonso’s offense still counts on three-time World Cup veterans Edinson Cavani and Luis Suárez, so he’ll encounter some difficulties in Qatar.

Uruguay’s Group H Matches:

Date	Team	Time	Stadium
24 November	Uruguay vs. Korea Republic	16:00(Local Time)	Education city stadium
28 November	Uruguay vs. Portugal	16:00(Local Time)	Lusail Stadium
2 December	Uruguay vs. ghana	16:00(Local Time)	Al Janoub Stadium

Strategy and Approach from Diego Alonso:

Alonso began his coaching career with Bella Vista in 2011, following a long and unusual playing career in which he competed for rival teams Nacional and Penarol in Montevideo. He has held positions in Paraguay, Mexico, and the United States before being hurriedly brought in to replace Tabarez with Uruguay’s Qatar 2022 qualification hopes on the line.

Alonso made several organizational adjustments and called up some unexpected players to help revitalize the struggling system and team, although he was careful not to replace the veterans fully.

Several seasoned players, like goalkeeper Fernando Muslera, were benched in favor of newer, less-seasoned additions. Even though some met the modifications with skepticism, they quickly bore fruit as Uruguay reeled off four straight victories to clinch their spot in the global finals. Alonso has shown tactical versatility by adjusting Uruguay’s system and game plan based on the strength of their opponents and the game’s other factors, bringing relative calm to the team’s seas.

Match Winning Player: Federico Valverde

The multitalented midfielder has blossomed in the last year, becoming integral to Real Madrid’s success. As a result of his breakthrough season, Valverde started in the Champions League final and won the trophy. The 24-year-old is integral to Carlo Ancelotti’s lineup and has already established a new career high in goals with eight through 18 games this season. Valverde has played flank, defensive midfield, and fullback for his country’s national team. He puts in an incredible effort, and his passing will be crucial in supplying Uruguay’s offense.

A Rising Star in the Field: Darwin Nunez

The 23-year-old is an exciting striker who seems to possess all the necessary equipment to become one of the best in the world. Nez not only has a strong presence in the ring, but he also has the incredible speed for his size and the agility to counter it. Liverpool completed a club-record move for Nez this summer (the fee could reportedly reach $100 million) after he scored 26 league goals in 28 appearances for Benfica last season. Since then, he has scored seven goals in 17 games for Liverpool. Nez has only scored once this year for Uruguay (in a 2-0 friendly win over Canada back in September), but he will be expected to produce at his first World Cup.

World Cup History:

Two of the most impressive victories of the World Cup were won by La Celeste. A mere two years after winning their second straight gold medal at the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament, they won the first-ever global finals on home soil in 1930.

Twenty years later, they were able to put to rest the country that would go on to win more World Cups than any other. With leadership from captain Obdulio Varela, Uruguay stunned the Maracana crowd and eliminated Brazil from the 1950 tournament. That nightmare in Brazil, which Uruguay will never forget, emphasized the country’s World Cup heritage, which they furthered by advancing to the semifinals in South Africa in 2010. Los Charras, a fiercely competitive team, is hoping to give some of their retiring heroes a memorable sendoff by winning a third consecutive championship in Qatar.

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