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Uruguay has a plan: despite the fact that one of the best strikers in the world is waiting in Sochi, the Celeste is trying to involve Cristiano Ronaldo collectively to prevent Portugal from letting it go. to take in the Octaves of the Final of this World Cup. "Cristiano Ronaldo is in the elite, has great potential (…) and will not only score a player, it will not only be (Diego) Godín.There are some things we have the intention to make the collective point of view to limit it, "said Óscar Tabárez, strategist at La Celeste, world champion in 1930 and 1950.
Several factors could favor Uruguay, starting with the fact of a single player, as happens with the Portuguese
Portugal's dependence on Cristiano Ronaldo is undeniable.Four of the five goals scored by current European champions, in their march towards the second round, were the work of Cristiano.
The sense of the team is one of the strong points of the Uruguayans, who seem to have discovered before Russia balance sought by Tabárez in the midfield with Matías Vecino, Rodrigo Betancur, Naihtan Nández and Lucas Torreira, jo with a mark and able to move the ball quickly upwards.
"We have worked together for 12 years and we know that (a victory) is as much as possible," said Tabárez.
Uruguay has two of the best strikers in the world, Luis Suárez and Edinson Cavani. But there are other ways to reach the goal. Their defenders Diego Godín and Jose Maria Giménez are big heads in both zones and mark with a certain frequency or cause rejections that open the doors of the goal with their frentazos.
Defenders and games with stopped ball have been the weapon of attack After having achieved a flawless first phase, with three wins against Egypt (1-0), l & # 39; Saudi Arabia (1-0) and Russia (3-0) without any goal, the Celeste feels strong.
"We have been preparing for a long time, many of us have been working together for 12 years and are gradually reaching goals, some may consider it slowly, but given the limitations we have as a football country we are arrived as we wanted it, "said the coach, who has been at the helm of Uruguay since the age of 71.
"In these first three games, I think we are closer than ever we want."
Sochi / Agencies
Team Game
Portugal coach Fernando Santos has stressed the need for his team to show a good collective game, beyond confiding everything to their star Cristiano Ronaldo, s & # 39; he wants to beat Uruguay.
"It is very difficult for a player to solve only because even if he scores three goals, he must have a team that supports him," he said.
Usually serious, Santos did not hesitate to joke. his team Cristiano – who solved with a hat-trick the match of Portugal against Spain in the debut (3-3) and then scored the goal of the victory against Morocco (1-0) -, saying that he had won the coffee that had bet, of course that you would be asked.
And he did not deny the evidence. "I hope my team is up to the task and is as strong as Uruguay, and that's where Cristiano can make a difference."
Beyond the star of Real Madrid, Santos did not spare La Celeste, who highlighted his great record as a champion of two World Cups (1930 and 1950), as well as the great experience of his coach, Oscar Tabárez, at the helm of the team since 2006.
"The greatest virtue of the team in Uruguay is Uruguay.It has a coach who is at the helm. of the national team for 12 years, a man of great experience and high quality, we know the qualities of his players. "
" Uruguay is a team that has not cashed goal in 2018, it is very strong.If it is evaluated, it is difficult to find weaknesses.They are very homogeneous.I think Portugal will win, but I recognize that a very strong team will arrive. "
Keys of dueling
Two beasts of the goal
The protagonists of the two national teams warn that the tree it can not cover the forest and that the game is much more than a face to face between "CR7" and the "Pistolero" Suarez. Luis Suarez (above) warned: "We must be aware that I do not play only myself, or me against Pepe (…) In Uruguay, we depend a lot on our collective, because at the individual level we can take a minimum advantage. "
Two types of care
The potential of both attacks is unbeatable. On the side of the Portuguese, Cristiano Ronaldo, hungry, goes for everything in Russia. On the other hand, Luis Suarez is looking in this World Cup to bury Brazil once and for all for forgetting. This combination of images shows the Portuguese Ricardo Quaresma and the Uruguayan Edinson Cavani, both are part of the aggressive attack of their Selections.
Perfect Defense
Beyond Suárez and Cavani, the South Americans have other reasons to be optimistic. The leaders of Group A finished with three wins, against Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Russia, and their goal at zero. And captain Diego Godín is one of the highlights of the only rearguard who still receives no goals in the World Cup.
The Hour of Strategists
The match promises a duel of slates between Fernando Santos and Oscar Tabarez, who in his fourth World Cup with Uruguay, the third in a row, seeks to set the bar for a process of more than 12 years. With the attacks and defenses in focus, the key may be in the midfield. Uruguay has tried several formulas in the field of the most vulnerable field and although in the last game of Group A the "Master" was more satisfied in an area where Rodrigo Bentancur was the most regular.
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