Uruguay looks Group A favourite

Gulf News starts group-by-group analysis

Appearances: 12 Best finish: Champions: 1930 and 1950 Manager: Oscar Tabarez

Star player: Luis Suarez

Don’t be fooled by the fact that two-time winners Uruguay haven’t won a World Cup in almost 70 years. They finished fourth three times since in a total 10 appearances to have followed, the most recent semi-final finish being in 2010.

Only Brazil had a better qualifying campaign in South America this time around, but it was second-placed Uruguay’s Paris Saint Germain striker Edison Cavani, not the expected likes of Barcelona’s Luis Suarez, who was the continent’s top scorer in qualification with 10 goals.

With one of the longest serving international managers in Oscar Tabarez at the helm since 2006 (he won the Copa America in 2011), this is a stable squad built around a solid framework of Atletico Madrid’s Diego Godin at the back, Sampdoria’s Gaston Ramirez in midfield and the enviable attacking duo of Suarez and Cavani up front. Veteran Lazio defender Martin Caceres is the only doubt with a calf injury.

That framework may be starting to age and the likes of Diego Forlan may have long since retired, but young midfielders such as Juventus’ Rodrigo Bentancur, Boca Juniors’ Nahitan Nandez and Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde have added legs to longevity.

It’s that combination merged with Tabarez’s long-term planning that make Uruguay the best of the dark horses. The only thing they have to watch out for is the unpredictability of their main man Suarez, a player who saved Ghana’s wouldbe match-winner with his hand to get sent off during the 2010 quarter-finals, only to then rub it in with his overzealous celebrations when Uruguay eventually won on penalties. He also bit Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini — his third such offence — on the shoulder during a 2014 group match to get expelled from the tournament, resulting in Uruguay’s premature Last 16 exit. Because of that, hot-head Suarez will have a lot of making up to do this tournament, and it would seem he has the team around him to do just that. Even in the worst case scenario though, without him, Uruguay will take heart from Cavani firing, but if they could all just persuade Suarez to keep a lid on it they might go far.

With Tabarez at the helm since 2006, this is a stable squad built around a solid framework of Diego Godin at the back, Gaston Ramirez in midfield and the enviable attacking duo of Suarez and Cavani up front.