Uruguay beat Mexico to top group
442 Staff - Tuesday 22 June 2010, 18:17
RUSTENBURG - Uruguay sent
their long-suffering fans into rapture on Tuesday when they
secured a place in the second round of the World Cup finals for
the first time in 20 years.
The sky-blue-shirted team beat Latin American rivals Mexico
1-0 thanks to a well-made and perfectly-taken 43rd minute headed
goal by Luis Suarez.
For
coach Oscar Tavarez, it was also a personal triumph as
he was in charge of Uruguay, the champions of 1930 and 1950,
when they last reached the final 16 in Italy in 1990.
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Suarez's strike for his first goal
at these finals settled
the outcome of a tightly contested game that ensured Uruguay
qualified as the Group A winners ahead of the Central Americans.
This means they will avoid
probable Group B winners and
South American neighbours Argentina and face likely runners-up
South Korea or Greece in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.
Despite losing, Mexico also went
through by virtue of having
a better goal difference than hosts South Africa. France
finished bottom.
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"We're
going to take it one game at a time... now we've
been lucky enough to achieve our first goal which was to get
through the group phase," said man-of-the-match Suarez.
Coach Tabarez stayed calm amid the
clamour.
TOUGH
"We showed we are a tough side to
tackle now and, if you
look at our history in the past few World Cups, you will know
why I am extremely satisfied with this result," he said.
"It was a tough game, but we were
better in the first half.
I have no idea how far we can go - the reality is on the pitch - and I get more satisfaction from the team display than any
personal achievement."
His
team, mixing South American steel with pace and panache,
deserved to win after surviving spells of flamboyant Mexican
possession play in the opening half to stamp their authority on
the game.
When Mexico,
invigorated by three substitutions early in the
second period, raised their tempo, the Uruguayan defence worked
stubbornly, and rode their luck, to hang on.
It was Uruguay's first win over
the Mexicans in four games
since beating them 2-0 in Chicago in 2003, and only their fourth
overall in 18 meetings - little wonder that supporters of the
team known as "La Celeste" were singing into the night sky
long after Mexico had left the field.
Mexico embroidered a generally
open and entertaining game
with plenty of intricate passing and some excellent individual
moments, but could have little complaint at the final result.
They are now likely to face
Argentina in Johannesburg on
Sunday and will need to raise their game considerably to keep
alive any hope of reaching the quarter-finals for a third time.
"We have to get better whatever
happens... in terms of what
lies ahead, everything is down to us and we have to continue
with the good work and try to do what we did against France,"
said defender Rafael Marquez said.
On an unexpectedly warm evening
under a falling sun at the
Royal Bafokeng Stadium, the first half produced a mixture of
sweeping moves and irritating stoppages.
Tension seemed to grip both sides
as news from Bloemfontein
- where South Africa were playing France - arrived, signaled by
lenghty blasts from the many vuvuzuelas in a crowd dominated by
Mexican green.
Mexico had
the best early chance when Andres Guardado hit
the bar from 30 metres, but for all their clever approach play
they rarely threatened a breakthrough.
Uruguay, solid at the back and
expansive in attack, where
Diego Forlan prompted and probed, Edinson Cavani broke swiftly
on the flanks and Suarez smoldered with intent, were never
dazzled or unnerved.
They
had seen off the best Mexico had to offer when they
took the lead after 43 minutes, Forlan collecting and finding
the dangerous Cavani running on the right. His deep cross to the
far post was met by Suarez whose accurate far-post header
bounced down and up beyond Oscar Perez.
There were more near misses at
both ends before the
vuvuzelas went silent and Uruguayan anthems filled the night.
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