The South American team through to the last four of the World Cup is neither of the teams everyone thought would make it. From looking like a showcase for Latin American talent a week ago, the tournament has now made an unexpected but decisive turn towards Europe, and suddenly it is up to Uruguay to prove they can stand up for themselves against Holland, not to mention Germany or Spain at a later date.
Uruguay have thrived so far in the dark horse role in South Africa. They have two excellent goalscorers and a competent defence, so it was never difficult to predict they would give a good account of themselves, yet if they are now vying with teams who can beat Brazil and Argentina, they are playing with the big boys.
Oscar Tabarez's team do not have a great record against the South American big two.
Uruguay have played Brazil 10 times in the past 15 years and won once, and they boast just a single win against Argentina in 14 meetings over the past 20 years.
Uruguay against the best of Europe is not only a much less familiar contest, it is one that can only be judged by results in this World Cup, since Tabarez keeps insisting that his players have no particular interest in history and have reinvented themselves after a few barren decades from the country that won a couple of early world crowns and became famous for the 1950 upset against Brazil.
The modern Uruguay have been slightly lucky so far in South Africa, right up to their quarterfinal victory over Ghana, when they were hugely lucky.
“We achieved our goal but we didn't play as we wanted to. Our rival was extremely tough. We were lucky. Luck is important and I really cannot say much more,” Tabarez said.
The ethics of a deliberate handball on the line in the last minute of extra time can be discussed elsewhere, but from a purely footballing point of view you cannot expect to progress if you are facing a penalty when the scores are tied, with no time to restart the game.
Uruguay hardly deserved their reprieve when Asamoah Gyan hit the bar, and ought to have secured victory even before the game went to a penalty shoot-out. Ghana surprised them by taking the lead, but once Diego Forlan had equalised, the South Americans wasted a good few positions and chances to wrap up the victory. Sebastian Abreu, the striker who so calmly chipped in the winning penalty in the shoot-out, was guilty with Forlan of going for glory when other colleagues were better placed.
One would have expected a team of Uruguay's pedigree to be a little more clever and composed against Ghana, and they will certainly need to be against Holland. As the ever impressive Germans have just shown, organisation and team play can take you a long way.
Uruguay are not undeserving of their semifinalist status, although they got lucky in the group when Mexico were saddled with the tricky opening day fixture against South Africa.
A game later in Pretoria and Forlan in particular found the hosts easy prey they rather naively allowed him to drift all over the pitch to pick up the ball and by the time Mexico came to contest the final group game qualification was all but assured.
Uruguay did not convince in the round of 16 game against South Korea either.
Tabarez admitted the Korean equaliser shocked them and his side only played well for the last 12 minutes, so set against what Holland have achieved in the tournament so far bearing in mind that Slovakia were able to put out Italy the European side must be strong favourites to reach their first final since1978.
For Uruguay it would be a first decider since 1950 and they are not as strong in world terms as they were back then, even if they are still disappointed that Brazil's departure has denied them a rerun of the Maracan fun and games. — Guardian News and Media 2010
