SETE LAGOAS (Brazil), June 17 ― Uruguay will treat their match against England this week like a World Cup final and star striker Luis Suarez could play, coach Oscar Tabarez said yesterday.
“It's a final and we need to win,” Tabarez said of Thursday's Group D game in Sao Paulo that both sides need to win to maintain their hopes of reaching the last 16.
Uruguay lost their first game against Costa Rica 3-1 while England were defeated 2-1 by Italy.
“We did not play badly in the first game,” Tabarez said. “But we were hurt by the Costa Rica goals. We could not impose our strategy on the game.”
The coach said Uruguay's players must not be swayed by pessimism after the shock defeat.
Tabarez said the team had already “learned to accept the defeat. From today we started to move forward.”
Captain Diego Lugano described the task facing his team-mates ― beating both England and Italy to qualify for the last 16 ― as their Everest.
“It's the greatest challenge facing this generation. We're going to try to beat two powers who, in principal, are better than Uruguay in many aspects,” said the 33-year-old centre-back.
“If the level of difficulty in this group was big, now it's enormous. But that makes it more beautiful, the challenge is enormous.
“It's why our squad is more motivated than ever. England start as favourites but it won't be the first time that Uruguay can overcome an adverse situation.”
Lugano said the team have made their peace with the disastrous loss and are already focussed on their next match.
“The last hours have been, as they could not have been any different, about annoyance and anger. On the one hand there is disappointment, but on the other maturity,” added Lugano.
“This is football and when it's not a good afternoon or you get the details wrong, then at the World Cup you pay a high price.”
Having spent the last half season at West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League, Lugano knows his next opponents well.
“They're physically powerful players. They don't change their style very much, regardless of who plays.
“It puts a lot of pressure on defenders. I think it will be a different type of game to the one against Costa Rica.”
Tabarez said he had not yet chosen the team to confront England.
Liverpool striker Suarez had an operation to repair a damaged meniscus barely three weeks ago, but is said to be fit again.
Suarez at one staged warmed up on the touchline against Costa Rica, but Tabarez did not risk him.
“It is a possibility, I can say no more,” Tabarez said, when asked if Suarez would play against England.
Last week, Tabarez announced his team the day before playing Costa Rica. He said that this time he will only release the starting XI just before the game.
Tabarez will be forced to replace Maximiliano Pereira who was sent off at the end of the Costa Rica game. ― AFP
