Uruguay vs England - What we can expect - Preview and Prediction
In a huge Group D game, England takes on Uruguay in Sao Paulo in what is essentially a must win game for both sides. Uruguay fell to a shock defeat to Costa Rica in their opening match, while England were spirited in a 2-1 reverse against Italy. England will head into the match in a better frame of mind than the Uruguayans who will still be reeling from their unexpected loss to Costa Rica.
Uruguay will however by buoyed by the return of their star striker, Luis Suarez. Suarez was rested against Costa Rica as a precautionary measure and to ensure that he wasn’t rushed back from injury, but it was a move that backfired spectacularly as La Celeste went down in their first World Cup match on Brazilian soil since Maracanazo in 1950.
Venue:
Arena de Sao Paulo (A.K.A. Arena de Corinthians) located in Sao Paulo, will host its second game of this World Cup, having hosted the opening game of the tournament between hosts Brazil and Croatia. It has a capacity of 65,000 people and is at an altitude of 792m above sea level. The players should be able to cope up with the altitude, but it could yet play a small yet decisive role in determining the trajectory of the ball.
Kickoff Time
June 20 – 00:30 IST
June 19 – 16:00 Local Time
Possible Starting Lineups
The one obvious change in the Uruguayan lineup will be the return of Suarez. He is likely to replace Diego Forlan in the starting lineup. Apart from that, there aren’t many options for Tabarez to look to, as he started 10 of his best 11 against Costa Rica.
Uruguay: (4-4-2): Fernando Muslera, Maximiliano Pereira, Diego Lugano, Diego Godin, Martin Caceres, Cristhian Stuani, Egidio Arevalo Rios, Walter Gargano, Cristian Rodriguez, Luis Suarez, Edinson Cavani
Roy Hodgson will, in all probability, field the same eleven as he did against Italy. The one change in the system could be Wayne Rooney pushing back into the centre of the field tucking in behind Daniel Sturridge, with Raheem Sterling and Danny Welbeck starting out in the wide positions.
England: (4-2-3-1): Joe Hart, Glen Johnson, Gary Cahill, Phil Jagielka, Leighton Baines, Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson, Raheem Sterling, Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck, Daniel Sturridge
Key Facts and Stats
– England have scored in each of their last eight World Cup encounters with South American sides.
– England have never beaten Uruguay at the World Cup. They’ve met twice: in 1954(Uruguay won 4-2) and in 1966(0-0).
– Uruguay continued their tradition of never having won their opening match of a World Cup since 1970.
– Wayne Rooney has still not scored a World Cup goal in 10 appearances on the biggest footballing stage.
– Uruguay have picked up a Red Card in two of their last four World Cup games.
– Daniel Sturridge is in hot form – the striker has scored 3 goals in his last 4 appearances for the National Team.
Key Battles
Luis Suarez vs Gary Cahill
Suarez is coming off a fabulous season with Liverpool in the English Premier League, but he will be up against a formidable partnership in Cahill and Phil Jagielka. Cahill was arguably the best Centre-Back in the Premier League last season. Therefore, this proves to be a battle, the winner of which will go a long way in determining which side comes out on top.
Diego Godin vs Daniel Sturridge
Suarez’s strike partner at Liverpool, Sturridge has also had a fantastic season, and he has been brilliant in the build up to the World Cup as well. Sturridge took his goal against Italy expertly, and was lively otherwise as well. Godin on the other hand has been sensational for Spanish champions Atletico Madrid, and he will be looking to get the better of Sturridge.
Prediction
Uruguay will be buoyed by the return of Suarez, but I think Uruguay are over-reliant on their star forward. England, on the other hand, look a more well-rounded team. So, I’m predicting a narrow England victory here.
Uruguay 1-2 England
Match Officials
On field Referee: Carlos Velasco Carballo (ESP)
Assistant Referee 1: Roberto Alonso Fernandez (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Juan Yuste (ESP)
Fourth official: Alireza Faghani (IRN)