The Rise of Uruguay in World Football

Photo credit: Getty Images

If one had presumed that Uruguay would make it to the semifinals of the 2010 World Cup, it would have been considered a long shot. They made it in by winning the half spot play-in game against Concacaf's Costa Rica, a wild card so to speak. But at the World Cup we saw the rise of Luis Suarez and the reaffirmation of Diego Forlan, Eguren, Cavani and Lugano. Only Spain could defeat them in the end--and they ended up winning the cup.

Was it an oddity? No. This past summer we saw the same team knock off host-nation Argentina and win the tournament in convincing fashion against Paraguay. Throw in the fact that they went undefeated in 2011, including an away win at Italy, and you know something special is brewing.

Uruguay has always been about passion and defense. I grew up knowing them as "rageros," a word meaning "foulers." Their style was dirty to the point of intimidation. The Uruguay of old that won two of the first four World Cups had been eroded away. Uruguay's position in South America was up for grabs and this allowed teams like Bolivia, Colombia, Chile and Ecuador to advance to the ecumenical tournament throughout the past two decades. Uruguay sometimes made it in, but just by a hair.

The pushover, ragero days for Uruguay are over. After Suarez' crucial handball stop versus Ghana in 2010, everything seemed to change. Forlan's scintilating possession, Lugano's positioning on the pitch and Luis Suarez' nose for goals are only the tip of the iceberg. They dribble around defenses with precision, score sublime goals and win games in style. Luis Suarez' awareness is so impressive that defenders double or tripple up on him, enough so that players like Dirk Kuyt and Carrol, Cavani and Forlan, have room to create dangerous plays. His game transcends seamlessly from club to country and this is the same for other players like Forlan and Lugano. That's the real key to Uruguay. The players always play well, no matter when or for whom.

It's not inconceivable to asume that Uruguay will top Conmebol's qualifying campaign. Also not inconceivable that they could remain undefeated. And, at the end of the day, it's not inconceivable that La Celeste could win the World Cup, in Rio, all over again.

Honoring a Soccer Journalism Icon: Mauro Velasquez Villacis

The year I went off to college my mother gave me an unusual gift: a series of obscure soccer magazines. They were specific to Conmebol (South America's soccer conference), and more importantly, strictly for the press. As I read through them I learned about the history of Conmebol and of its most important club tournament: The Copa Libertadores.

But why should I get this gift? Mother told me they came from my uncle Mauro, a world-respected soccer journalist, friend of the legendary Garrincha and a fan of Barcelona Sporting Club of Guayaquil, Ecuador. Perhaps he knew of my love for the game. It must have been so because I have over 20 cousins on my mother's side and yet the gift was especially for me. Up until that point, I had been to only a handful of futbol games. And yet he knew that following the beautiful game was one of my passions.

Regardless of the reasoning behind the gifts, my passion for the game grew stronger through the years and it led to this blog, my twitter account, and a distinct proclivity towards US Soccer and MLS.

I saw my uncle once again a couple of years back. He somehow knew that what I wanted was to discuss the game and to see his significant soccer library, his notes about soccer players, his relationships with individuals and his philosophy about soccer. "I follow the players," he said. And then I realized that so do I. It's not just about the games for us. It's about a player's tendencies, reactions and personality on the pitch.

This post is to honor a legend in the soccer media. Mauro Velasquez Villacis was recently awarded the "Most Illustrious Citizen of Guayaquil" award. It was given to him for his dedication towards sports journalism in Ecuador, for what he brought to the history of his country and the world at large, for the honesty and directness he employed in his work. They called him the "human computer" for his otherworldly wisdom, and most of all the award was given to him for his kindness and decency. He is an example for future generations in an age in which the public is increasingly critical of journalism, something that in his case is completely the opposite. He received an extended standing applause and was humbled to receive the award. His soccer language is as sophisticated as the use of his Spanish. Quoted by many. Respected by most. An icon in my life.

Qatar 2022: The game's not in US yet

FIFA decided last week that the World Cup 2022 would be held in Qatar. A travesty? Brilliant move? Sign of corruption? A step in the right direction? Only time will tell. Hopefully it's a positive move. But for those that disagree, there is plenty of credence in their claims.

Having read about Qatar's plans for air conditioned stadia, training grounds and alcohol permits, things don't look so bad. So, there are certainly some positives. From increased attention to the sport in the Arab world, recognition of this culture's love for the game and opening their doors for the rest of the world, to the promise of millions of dollars for player development in the Middle East. Indeed, reports suggest that Qatar's hosting of the Cup could be an economic coup for the world football governing body and this area of the world. Billions of dollars in communications packages, temporal coverage for 82% of world population (they are 8 hrs ahead of ET). Indeed, it may be difficult for Pacific islands but not for land masses (as was the case with Korea/Japan 2002.

Qatar also has very deep pockets. Enough for hotel/stadia. Also within the package is the fact that they plan to ship their stadiums elsewhere once the games are over. An interesting proposal. But where? How? The Middle East? That's their intention so let's hope it remains so.

But let's have some perspective. Qatar is in the 113th place in FIFA rankings. And yes, those rankings don't mean so much when you get to the top 50 or so, but this diminutive nation has never made it to the World Cup. It boasts a population of ~1.6 million. Expect up to a third of its population in tourists alone. Are they going to air condition the entire country? Remember that the World Cup is always held during the boreal summer. 2022 will be no different.

So what happened to the US' bid? Overtaken by a diminutive country with limited soccer history but with very deep pockets. That's where Qatar won, in the amount of private resources available. The USA has world class stadiums, ardent fans, media support, and excellent transportation systems. But it wasn't enough. This country is still ruled by the big three: Football, Basketball and Baseball. Even though there is significant ethnic diversity and large populations from nearly every corner in the world, it still wasn't enough.

It is my hope that it came down to technical aspects of Qatar's bid and not so much its pocketbook or alleged corruption claims. Would CONCACAF really have betrayed the US? Truthfully, I think a #1 requirement for a World Cup host is to have participated in at least one such event. If this were Saudi Arabia, Iran (with political caveats) or United Arab Emirates, perhaps critics out there, including myself, would not have second guesses on FIFA's decisions. I also hope that FIFA isn't doing this to act as a Robin Hood of sorts, i.e. giving competition chances to those that lack them. Or is it that FIFA is, as some out there claim, a type of mafia.

If the US needs a soccer tournament to enhance the sport's image then I suggest Conmebol and Concacaf stop stalling and finally create the Copa Americas that we have been asking for ever since the Copa America started inviting Concacaf teams to the continental tournament. The Gold Cup could remain as a qualifier mechanism. Right now, as it is, the Gold Cup is highly defective due to its perennial hosting in the United States and because it's held every two years. Time for a change.... how nice would it be to have a Copa Americas USA 2015 or 2019?

In the end I embrace FIFA's decision as a show of trust in the Arab world, a way to link the world's population for peaceful purposes in an area of the planet experiencing so much turmoil, and also for the development of the untapped talent in this part of the globe. Qatar has the resources to throw a great party. Good luck.

Concacaf still lags behind

The World Cup belongs to UEFA and CONMEBOL...always. Not once has a team from Asia, Africa or North and Central America won the cup. Further, no African or Concacaf team has made it to a final. Only South Korea has made it to the semifinal in the modern era, and their participation at that stage may be due to favorable officiating. Oh, USA did make it to the semifinal, but in 1930. It's safe to say that 99.9% of Americans even knew that soccer existed. Everyone was watching baseball anyway.

So let's revise history a bit. If we look at Mexico, their best results were reaching the quarterfinals in 1970 and 1986. Are those familiar dates? They should be, they were the tournaments hosted by Mexico. And the United States? They have also stopped short at the quarterfinals...in 2002. This after first coming back to the world stage in 1990, with a round of 16 appearance when they hosted the World Cup in 1994.

Can we blame USA and Mexico's exits from the World Cup on battling stronger, legendary foes? Partly. For Mexico, starting with 1986, Germany defeated them on penalties (1-4). They were absent in 1990 due to disciplinary reasons. In 1994 it was eventual-semifinalists Bulgaria that ousted them in the round of 16. Was that a top competition? At the time, no. They lost on penalties, again, after Hristo Stoichkov scored a beautiful tying goal on Jorge Campos. After that it was Germany in 1998, USA in 2002, and Argentina in 2006 and 2010. You can make a case for top competition in 3 out of 4 of those tournaments. The match against the USA was a toss-up, especially since the two teams know each other well. However, in this match they were beaten 2-0 and not in penalties.

What about USA? If we discount the times they failed to make it out of group play (1990, 1998, 2006), they also faced top competition in 2 our of 3 of the corresponding games (Brazil in 1994 and Germany in 2002). Brazil won the cup in 1994 and Germany reached the final in 2002. Yes, that penalty against the USA shouldn't have counted on that fateful quarterfinal against the three-time world champs. And in the current World Cup? We can say that Ghana isn't top competition but they were in Africa and level in strength.

Let's look at South Africa a bit closer. In the words of the great Mauro Velasquez Villacis, neither Mexico or USA beat anybody. What about France? We can all agree that France was in shambles due to internal strife. Mexico couldn't defeat the host nation and fell to Uruguay, which set up a match against Argentina. USA also didn't beat anyone; Algeria isn't really considered a world power.

Mexicans and Americans may both make reference to non-World Cup tournaments such as the Confederations Cup or U-17 and U-20 tournaments. Mexico may have won the Confederations Cup in 1999 (they were hosts) and the USA may have reached the final in 2009, but let's face it, these do not compare to the World Cup. And when you throw in Mexico's U-17 championship in 2005 and USA may have reached the semifinals in 1999 I say this: youth tournaments almost never reflect the senior team. As an example, USA defeated Brazil in 2007 by the score of 2-1. The senior team has defeated them once in the last 20 years, and on home soil on a non-World Cup match.

There is still plenty of room for evolution of the Concacaf region. The Mexican Primera is a quality league and MLS is catching up to the world. Players from the region are also beginning to populate European leagues. If Ghana were to reach the semifinal in 2010, it will be a victory for the continent. It may not be long before USA or Mexico reach the semifinals and it may also take a hosting of the tournament by one of the two countries. If USA hosts in 2018 or 2022 things may go their way, especially since Mexico is essentially at home in this country. Until then, however, Concacaf will continue to lag behind.

Ecuador vs Argentina: All is not lost yet

Mexico's Conmebol woes: What it means to the USSF and MLS

I think we have all pretty much heard the news. Mexico gets the swine flu. Other countries close their doors and quarantine people that have been in Mexico or are Mexican. Competitions and other activities within Mexico shut down due to the outbreak, and delays occur for international fixtures for both Conmebol and Concacaf competitions. It started with delaying Chivas and San Luis's matches with Sao Paulo and Ncaional of Uruguay. No one wanted to play on Mexican soil. Colombia denied permission to have Mexican home fixtures on their territory. The matches were reinstated and were scheduled again for the Mexican teams.... And the Conmebol teams refused to play on Mexico.

What followed was both sad and understandable at the same time. Mexico pulled out of the Libertadores and subsequently of all Conmebol competitions. This includes the Sudamericana and Copa America. It is a sad fact that the competitiveness and financial considerations of Mexican presence in these tournaments will be lost. But Mexican teams and fans have long squabbled with South American dignitaries about the lack of sportsmanship, match fixing and general discontent of Conmebol teams against Mexican teams. Such was the case with "el Bofo" Bautista in a Boca Juniors incident as well as not allowing Mexican referees until this season.

But what is the general context of this ordeal for the US? I think it's a great opportunity to jump into competition with South America that so many fans and commentators have clamored for. let MLS teams play the Libertadores and Sudamericana. Can this happen? Will this happen? Why not? There will be a vacuum there for the time being and US teams could take it up on a temporary basis until ties are reinstated between Mexico and Conmebol. After that maybe MLS will continue in the competition. I think USSF and MLS officials should jump into this conversation and take advantage of an unfortunate event. My condolences to the Mexican Federation and I hope they can reconcile with South America soon. This is a ridiculous turn of events that some epidemiologists I've spoken with have scoffed at.

Every point matters: Why Ecuador won't be in South Africa

Ecuador 1 - Brazil 1. Quito. From a historical perspective I feel it's only logical that the game would end this way. Then again, things have not been at all logical in South America for the past 10 years. Since then, Ecuador's rebellion against a sad, unaccomplished soccer team has changed into a world class squad with players in multiple European leagues. But normalcy always rebounds into action. Here we have a string of bad results starting with Copa America 2007, where Luis Fernando Suarez's schemes became ineffective and the Ecuador Federation (FEF) decided not to act.

Unlikely as it may have seemed, Venezuela, the infinite Cinderella in South America took a 1-0 victory in Quito on opening day of the 2010 qualifiers. A sad start for an immobile squad, stagnant in depth and perception. And I'm not bashing the players altogether. The core remains but their focus has been refined by Suarez's successor--Vizuete. Back to the start of qualifying... After the Venezuela debacle, Ecuador went to face two of CONMEBOL's toughest teams on the road: Brazil and Paraguay. Both were terrible losses with a -9 goal differential.

Vizuete did some magic after Suarez resigned following Paraguay's 5-1 thrashing of Ecuador in November of 2007. Peru would fall to Ecuador 5-1 in Quito. An important, almost win in Buenos Aires would come early in the summer of 2008. Argentina was on the verge of losing at home to lowly Ecuador. Fate (referee) intervened, time was overallowed and Argentina would tie the game in injury time. To follow was a painful tie at home versus Colombia. That's 5 points in 6 games.

Vizuete, however, would go undefeated in qualifying for six straight games including ties in Argentina and Uruguay. Home wins versus Bolivia and Chile added to his impressive run. 12 points and it was time for return matches in South America's marathonic qualifiers (all 10 teams play each other in home-away fashion). A revenge win away to Venezuela would help matters. This is where things went wrong for Vizuete. A string of injuries and suspensions left him with a depleted side against a Venezuelan team vying for its first entry into the World Cup. 3-1 in Puerto Ordaz was the score. Ecuador was left with 12 points and outside of qualification zone.

A new year. A new(ish) team. Caicedo has been building up his resume in Manchester City, the back line has mostly returned to Ecuador (except for Hurtado in Colombia) and the midfield is in flux. Cristian Noboa from my birthplace, Guayaquil, summed up a great career year with Rubin Kazan of Moscow. He was called into the latest squad for the games at home versus Brazil and Paraguay. And he delivered.

The latest game against Brazil should have gone to Ecuador. More chances, more shots, more determination, more fans. It was not to be. Even when it seemed like a 1-0 win was imminent, a cold splash of water came with Julio Baptista and a 0-1 score now glared from the scoreboard. But an important change in the squad, switching Joffre Guerron for Cristian Noboa paid off with a goal. A tie at this point in qualifiers is not a good sign, not even against Brazil.

The ghost of the numbers game is now upon fans of the Ecuador national team. A familiar sight, albeit one we have not seen since France 98. With Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil all but locked it is now between Uruguay, Chile, Colombia and Ecuador for the 1.5 spots left. The half-spot will go against Concacaf's 4th placed team. At this point in the last two qualifying campaigns the team had 16 (2002) and 18 (2006). For the 2010 campaign, Ecuador has 13 points going into the next match. Next up, Paraguay in Quito. A must win.