Uruguayans as a whole may celebrate their national team’s triumph in this year’s Copa America well into the next Copa challenge, and understandably so. This is the first major win since they won the Copa back in 1995. But not so for coach Oscar W. Tabarez. The long serving, studious coach is already focusing on the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, which kick off in three months’ time.
So far, there have been no major announcements on what to expect in the line up for the forth coming matches, but knowing Mr. Tabarez’s style, it is unlikely that much swapping will be done. You have to give it to the team for a continuous show of synchrony, as evidenced in the recent Copa finals where Diego Forlan shone. It is a trait that wowed the entire world at the 2010 FIFA World Cup down in South Africa, where not surprisingly, Luis Suarez was the star. Such organization can only be sustained where team mates understand each other perfectly.
This has been Coach Oscar’s core focus right from the onset. To paraphrase what he said recently following their Copa American win, it is not so much about tactic as it is about incorporating young players and preparing them for future matches. Indeed, it is a statement that speaks volumes about Tabarez’s faith in young players and the intentional move to seamlessly integrate them into the older players’ game.
Forlan’s stay at the team is on a countdown. Presently aged 32, true Uruguay fans are coming to terms with the fact that he will not be playing for long. His agility though, belies his age and were age not so important in this sport, it would certainly be delightful to see him in the field for the next 10 years. For now though, Oscar is happy to have such talent in his team.
