JUNE 12 - JULY 13, 2014 | BRAZIL
WORLD CUP
DEATH’
Costa Rica, Group D could be the World Cup’s toughest
SURPRISE REPRISE?
Costa Rica would like
nothing more than to repeat
its surprise effort from
its World Cup debut in
1990, when it beat Sweden
and Scotland to reach the
knockout round under
coach Bora Milutinovic.
The key to this squad is
its defense, as evidenced by
conceding only seven goals
in 10 matches of the final
qualifying phase.
PSV Eindhoven forward
Bryan Ruiz is the team’s
creative spark and perhaps
its best-known player after
his spell at Premier League
club Fulham.
ALWAYS DANGEROUS
Diego Forlan recorded
a TV commercial wearing a
T-shirt that read: “We’re not
the favorites, nor will we be
a surprise. We are the team
that no one wants to draw.”
That sums up Uruguay,
the small South American
country that finished fourth
at the 2010 World Cup.
Uruguay has won the
World Cup twice — in 1930
and 1950 — and is always
a dangerous rival with a
tough-nosed style of play
and two of the world’s top
forwards in Luis Suarez and
Edinson Cavani.
“We’ll try to do what
we did in South Africa,”
Uruguay coach Oscar
Tabarez said. “We want to
be a difficult team to play,
nothing less. If we achieve
this, it will take us close to
our objective.”
The problem for
Uruguay is Group D,
where it’s matched with
England, Italy and Costa
Rica. Finishing in the top
two and getting out of
the group would be an
accomplishment.
URUGUAY’S DEADLY
COMBINATION
Cavani and Suarez n
... two of the world’s
top forwards
n
“We are realists,”
Suarez said. “Today’s
football is tough. We
have go with a low
profile, the way we did
in South Africa, to try to
achieve our goal.”
Uruguay opens on
June 14 against Costa
Rica in the northeastern
city of Fortaleza. The
team faces England in
Sao Paulo on June 19,
and closes with Italy in
Natal on June 24.
Forlan, named
the best player at the
2010 World Cup, joined
Japanese club Cerezo
Osaka in February.
He will likely be a
substitute this time, but
offers lots of experience
from playing days in
Italy, Spain and Brazil.
He is hoping Japan
may boost his skills.
“The level of football in
Japan is very high from
both a technical and
physical standpoint so
if anything, I think this
will be good preparation
for the World Cup,”
Forlan said after
arriving in Japan.
THE GAME
sports magazine t h e g a m e
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