[ad_1]
Uruguay and Portugal are summoned this Saturday in Sochi with opposing sentiments at the end of the group stage of the World Cup in Russia, without dazzling football, but with a power of undeniable fire that leaves the series open and without favorites. Both teams have overcome the group stage without defeat and in the duel of the round of 32, they will open a menu of attractive duels.
The central of Atlético de Madrid will be face to face. Godín with the Real Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo, a duel with 28 chapters already in the Spanish League that continues to generate morbid.
But, as if that was not enough, Cristiano Ronaldo has another candidate to steal the scene, the Barcelona striker Suárez, who has signed two goals on Russian territory
Both are the historical markers of their teams.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored four goals and wasted a penalty in the group stage. But although he has also received a yellow card, if you add another and if Portugal advances, you will miss the quarter-finals.
Celeste won all three matches and kept his undefeated goal: he defeated Egypt and Saudi Saudí for the same 1-0, and beat the hosts 3-0
The Selecção das Quinas debuted with a 3-3 pyrotechnic with Spain, won 1-0 against Morocco and sealed a 1-1 draw against Iran
However, these formations came with different faces than the knockout stages.
Fernando Santos suffered unsuspected so as not to be excluded in the last breath. On the other hand, the students of Oscar Washington Tabárez feast at the expense of Russia.
Uruguay will try to maintain the good tone of the first phase and extend the sequence that makes it, given the background, a tough opponent Portugal, who could not win in the only two historic clashes: two friendlies in 1966 and 1972, which ended with 3-0 in Lisbon and 1-1 in Rio de Janeiro, respectively.
Their number makes Uruguay a reliable team: the set of "Maestro & # 39; Óscar Tábarez made his first victory in 48 years in a first match of a World Cup. In addition, he kept a clean sheet in all three group matches, something unprecedented in the Uruguayan box.
Also, for the third time in a row, he has reached the last 16. He had it with a single yellow card, which Uruguay has not done since Mexico 1970; and goalkeeper Fernando Muslera has surpassed the Uruguayan record of presence in a World Cup that had the legendary goalkeeper Ladislao Mazurkiewicz.
The goalkeeper of Galatasaray, left the mark in 14 duels and will increase against Portugal
they will not help if the men of Tabárez fail to eliminate Portugal and to advance to the quarters of final, where they would have a comfortable encounter without trips to Nizhny Novgorod against France or Argentina.
The "Maestro", who with 71 years could be before his last World Cup, wants to extend his stay in Russia and, at least, match his best winners: the semifinals of 39, South Africa 2010.
For this he must build a team that, except the doubt of the defender José María Giménez, is complete and without injuries. The central defender could not face Russia in the last match due to muscle problems and this Thursday he received a medical discharge.
If Tabárez judges it appropriate, he can count on his player. Otherwise, he will line Sebastián Coates with Diego Godín
The coach still has doubts in a few positions. Everything is clear except the extremes.
He never repeated in all three games. In the first they played Giorgian De Arrascaeta and Nahitan Nández; in the second, two other veterans: Carlos Sánchez and Cristian & # 39; Cebolla & # 39; Rodríguez; and in the third, Diego Laxalt and again Nández, who made long wings in a system with three defenses and five media with Torreira in the middle with Rodrigo Bentancur and Matías Vecino.
Whatever system and players use, Uruguay will be a very uncomfortable opponent for Portugal. All his players have gone less and less and have dispelled doubts in his three games.
He won Egypt with a bad game and a Giménez header at the last minute. Sent to Saudi Arabia with a goal from Luis Suarez and creative doubts. And against Russia, beaten 3-0 with a more cheerful football that wants to extend against Portugal to continue in the World Cup.
Passing eighth is not a new experience for Celeste in the current century. In South Africa, 2010 defeated South Korea 2-1 with a pair of Luis Suárez and went on to win a shootout against Ghana. Only stopped in semifinal against Holland
In Brazil 2014, without Suárez due to his expulsion for biting the Italian Giorgio Chiellini, the Celeste fell to Colombia 2-0.
The Lusos beat the Netherlands 1-0 in the 2006 edition of Germany, and dropped 0-1 against Spain in South Africa 2010.
Source link
