ELIMINATÓRIAS, R4: Uruguai x Brasil, 11/17/2020

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Location: Estadio Centenario, Montevideo


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Brazil roster
GOLEIROS
Alisson (Liverpool)
Ederson (Manchester City)
Weverton (Palmeiras)

LATERAIS
Danilo (Juventus)
Gabriel Menino (Palmeiras) - tested positive for Covid-19
Alex Telles (Manchester United)
Renan Lodi (Atlético de Madrid)

ZAGUEIROS
Éder Militão (Real Madrid) – tested positive for Covid-19 and replaced by Diego Carlos (Sevilla)
Marquinhos (PSG)
Rodrigo Caio (Flamengo) – injured and replaced by Felipe (Atlético de Madrid)
Thiago Silva (Chelsea)

MEIO-CAMPISTAS
Casemiro (Real Madrid)
Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa)
Arthur (Juventus)
Everton Ribeiro (Flamengo)
Fabinho (Liverpool) – injured and replaced by Allan (Everton)
Philippe Coutinho (Barcelona) - injured and replaced by Lucas Paquetá (Lyon)

ATACANTES
Everton Cebolinha (Benfica)
Roberto Firmino (Liverpool)
Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City)
Neymar (PSG) - released due to injury
Richarlison (Everton)
Vinícius Junior (Real Madrid)

With three wins in three matches and the top position of the CONMEBOL WCQ league table assured going into this fourth round, Brazil’s national team leaves the city of São Paulo and flies southward towards another city which like São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and several other major Brazilian cities has a soccer stadium and a soccer tradition which go way back: Montevideo.

The venue which hosted the first World Cup final will be the stage for Brazil’s next confrontation against one of its most traditional continental rivals: Uruguay.

Uruguay comes into this match in a tenuous situation. First, it defeated Chile 2-1 under dubious circumstances amid a controversial refereeing decision which the visiting Chileans protested. Then, in Quito, Uruguay surprised by losing 4-2, with the locals being up 4-0 until the 83rd minute, when Suárez scored with a PK and then scored a second in the 95th minute, again with a PK. Now, with amn impressive 0-3 away win at Colombia, Uruguay returns to home ground with its confidence soaring as it seeks to deny Brazil its third consecutive WCQ in at the Centenario.

Uruguay has experienced a quiet, steady, and noticeable resurgence in the past decade. Having missed the World Cup in 1994 and in 1998, the Uruguayans returned to the World Cup in 2002 but failed to pass the group stage. It then lost in the playoffs against Australia in PKs going into 2006 but fought back to advance to fourth place in the 2010 World Cup (the best CONMEBOL ranking in that tournament), and that after a series of questionable decisions favoring the Netherlands in the semifinal match. Uruguay made it to Brazil 2014 and to Russia 2018. It was perhaps in Russia where Uruguay left its finest impression in the World Cup in a very long time, even better than its 2010 semifinal run, as Uruguay won its three group stage matches without conceding a single goal. Uruguay then defeated 2016 European Championship winner Portugal 2-1 in the round of 16 before ultimately succumbing to eventual World Cup champion France by a score of 2-0 in the quarterfinals.

Uruguay also won the 2011 Copa América, which although nine years ago was the first major title won by the Uruguayans since the 1995 edition of the tournament, which was held on home ground and which Uruguay won on PKs against Brazil.

Although CONMEBOL’s World Cup Qualifying tournament will now only be holding the fourth of its eighteen rounds, Uruguay was seen going into this competition as one of the favorites to finish in the top four. It still has talented players as well as the traditional Uruguayan fighting spirit, but this potential and expectation cannot be understood without a mention of the man behind this streak of steady performances and improvement: the “Maestro” Óscar Tabárez, who has been in charge of the Uruguayan national team since 2006 (a longevity seldom seen in South America, whether club or country). Tabárez was the mastermind behind a detailed system of player formation, starting from the youth and junior divisions, up to the senior level. This system has definitely borne fruit, and Uruguay is again a constant contender in CONMEBOL competitions, which is a change from the decline it underwent in the 1990s.

Tabárez caught the attention of many observers as he used crutches in Russia due to his struggles with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a muscle weakness which stems from the immune system attacking the peripheral nervous system. 71 years old during the 2018 World Cup, Tabárez struggled with his cane as he, along with reserve players and team staff, erupted from their dugout seats as Uruguay scored a very late 1-0 to defeat Egypt in their debut match. Some saw that moment as far more touching than the Uruguayan victory goal itself.

Although Tabárez has some disappointing results vs. far less distinguished managers (his Uruguay lost 0-1 at home vs. a disjointed Argentina managed by Diego Maradona in 2009), he is still one of the better managers from CONMEBOL in activity, and he is sure to present Tite’s Brazil with a serious challenge. And while it is true Tite’s Brazil defeated Uruguay 1-4 in their last match in Montevideo, Uruguay is one of those teams which perennially make life hard for Brazil – Brazil may be the better team, but Uruguay makes Brazil prove it with much work and blood every time they meet.

This matchup is no longer seen as one of a bitter rivalry as it was in the past. The Maracanaço is now a 70-year-old memory which few Brazilians are still alive to remember. More Brazilians old enough to remember the 3-1 win in Mexico 1970 are alive, but the Brazil which was Pelé’s final World Cup title team was replaced by a 24-year drought, and this drought was followed by 26 years of several cups – a few of which included victories over Uruguay in finals or along the way. And, Brazilian victories in Montevideo – once very rare, with only three in 60 years (0-1, 1916 friendly; 1-2, 1932 Copa Rio Branco; 1-2, 1976 Copa Rio Branco) have been more “frequent,” with Brazil winning in Montevideo 0-4 in 2009 and 1-4 in 2017, both for WCQ.

Tite will have to work the team hard in practice. Neymar was cut from the roster days before the match vs. Venezuela (as was Gabriel Menino), and although Brazil won 1-0, it was one of the worse performances by Brazil in a while. Venezuela faced Brazil with a 4-5-1 formation, frustrating Brazil with its highly defensive system and close marking. Uruguay is likely to deploy a far different system, with Tabárez aiming for a win and therefore granting Brazil more space – although Uruguay’s front men, notably Suárez, will provide a test for Brazil’s defense that Venezuela’s did not.

A victory for Brazil would be pivotal for Brazil, keeping it atop the league tables in first place. A draw would be disappointing and a defeat a warning. A victory for Uruguay would be the third win in four matches, keeping it near the top of the rankings. A draw would be an unwelcome result, and a defeat a red light given it would be the second/third defeat after four rounds.

These are the previous WCQ matches between both teams held in the city of Montevideo:
8/15/1993: 1-1
7/1/2001: 1-0
3/30/2005: 1-1
6/9/2009: 0-4
3/23/2017: 1-4

This was the starting XI deployed by Tabárez in his team’s 3-0 away win at Colombia:
Martín Campaña; Martín Cáceres, José María Giménez, Diego Godín and Matías Viña; Nahitan Nández, Lucas Torreira, Rodrigo Bentancur and Nicolás de la Cruz; Edinson Cavani and Luis Suárez.​

 

I missed that Casemiro had also been diagnosed with Covid-19.

Pedro, who was capped after Neymar was cut from the roster, was himself cut due to pain in his right leg, after playing 20 minutes vs. Venezuela. And Thiago Galhardo from Internacional has been capped to replace him.

Alex Telles may be cut as well; he was diagnosed with a positive test for Covid-19 and if he has another one on November 15, Alex Telles will be cut from the roster and not to go Uruguay. In any case, Tite has capped Guilherme Arana, from Atl.-MG (Telles may no longer even be capable of transmitting the virus but Uruguay will not allow entry of anybody who has tested positive for Covid-19).

Arana had been on the reserve list.

 

It can happen; anything is possible during 90 minutes. But I do see why you say that - Brazil didn't play well vs. Venezuela and several players are missing. Uruguay on the other hand, as far as I know, has sustained no significant manpower depletions. The match is in Uruguay, but without fans, the home field advantage factor is substantially weaker.

The Uruguayans will go into this match with their morale very high, and they definitely don't want to lose a second match in four fixtures and a third consecutive home WCQ match against Brazil.

We will know soon enough. A win will leave Brazil in a very comfortable position as the year ends (I am not even sure if FIFA friendlies will be taking place under the pandemic), and hopefully Tite will not need to cut players from his list for the matches in March 2021.

 

Alex Telles tested negative for Covid-19, which means he will be kept on the roster and go to Uruguay. With him onboard, Brazil will have three laterais esquerdos (Renan Lodi, Telles, and Arana).

Non-Brazilian sports news state that Brazil will deploy the exact same starting XI from the Venezuela match tomorrow at the Centenario: Éderson; Danilo, Marquinhos, Thiago Silva, Renan Lodi; Allan, Douglas Luiz, Everton Ribeiro; Gabriel Jesus, Roberto Firmino and Richarlison.

I'm not sure this is a good idea. Uruguay will not stand back the way Venezuela did, and with the struggle the team had to get passes established in a flowing manner, there may be vulnerability against Uruguay's speedy players.

 

More updates on tomorrow's Uruguay vs. Brazil match:

- Two players from the Uruguayan roster have tested positive for Covid-19 and will therefore be absent from the match: goalkeeper Rodrigo Muñoz and striker Luis Suárez.
- Óscar Tabárez acknowledged Neymar's importance by saying "that Neymar is absent gives me relief."
- Tite spoke highly of the "Maestro" at a CBF news conference today, by mentioning Tabárez's credentials and highlighting his longevity and respectability.

 

Uruguay showing its speed. I wonder whether they'll be able to keep up this pace for the entire first half, though.

 

Gol do Brasil. Arthur. The ball bounced off Giménez.

(Going off of play-by-play... highlights should be good how fast Uruguay has been)

 

2-0. Richarlison header.

 

On a different note, Bolivia is now up 2-1 at Paraguay.

 

Hey Celito, where's everybody else?

 

The PBP I'm listening to - a Brazilian source - says the straight red was excessive. All the comentadores said it was too much for the foul and that a yellow card would have been the fairer decision.