Uruguay-England: key points
June 20, 2014
Uruguay were deserved winners against England on Thursday. Squad changes, or a lack thereof, were the key points from the match:
Luis Suarez reminds us he's brilliant. Four years ago at the World Cup it was Diego Forlan who shouldered Uruguay's attacking burden. In the country's opening tournament match this time around, Edinson Cavani tried and failed to step into that role. Suarez – on the bench against Costa Rica due to injury - was back tonight and showed everyone why he was so sorely missed.
Two excellent finishes and two goals, but he did more than just that. The striker's runs in the final third kept the England back line busy all match. When he did break free with the ball, it was a nightmare for Gary Cahill and Phil Jagielka. He was my Man of the Match.
Uruguay have made a successful reshuffle. It wasn't only Suarez's absence that caused Uruguay's 3-1 collapse to Costa Rica in their first match. Captain Diego Lugano had a shockingly poor game at the back, Maxi Pereira got sent off and Forlan didn't link well with the midfield. Coach Oscar Tabarez made four changes to his lineup in addition to Suarez, notably dropping Lugano for the youngster Jose Maria Giminez and placing Nicolas Lodeiro at the top of the midfield.
The result was a much more dynamic and fluid offensive game. Uruguay executed their counterattacks well and looked far more promising in the final third. In the back, Tabarez's changes meant a much tighter defense. England had their chances, but they were hardly given the sort of freedom afforded to Costa Rica.
Flat England rarely threatened. The one big change Roy Hodgson made to the England side that lost to Italy was playing Wayne Rooney centrally. He had a much better game against Uruguay and was the team's best player. But he missed some easy chances before scoring in the 75th minute.
Defensively, the Gary Cahill-Phil Jagielka combination continues to disappoint at the highest level. They played far too high a line on the second Uruguay goal, and poorly marked Cavani and Suarez on the first.
Once again Adam Lallana and Ross Barkley's introduction injected some energy in the squad, which makes one wonder why either of them haven't played more of a role at this tournament so far.