What is happening with the Uruguayan giants?

At 39, Dario Rodriguez (Peñarol) falls on the superiority of the opponent team

The giants of the Uruguayan football are living a disaster in the early rounds of Copa Libertadores 2014 – equivalent to Champions League in America. Old colossus as Peñarol and Nacional still didn’t get to win in the major competition of the continent. Both clubs have together in their history 8 Libertadores trophies, a big tradition, mystique and countless fans around the country. Worse than that, the football performances has been very poor.

“Our situation become super complicated now” said the coach Jorge Fossati after the game where his team, Peñarol, loose to mexican side Santos Laguna (0-2) in the last Tuesday in Montevideo. One of the points that has been discussed is not about the unusual tactical system deployed by Fossati (3-4-1-2), but mainly the excess of veterans in the team.

The mean age of the team is 32 years old! Among the eleven players who started the last game, seven them has more than 30 years old: Castillo (35), Macaluso (33), Valdez (31), Dario Rodriguez (39), Ortemán (35), Pacheco (37) and Zalayeta (35). It’s useless have much experience, if the team does not have rapport, stamina, physical availability. Peñarol needs good balance between strenght, meshing, speed and regularity. This team would be very competitive..if these players were playing together 10 years ago, if they were 10 years younger. Not now.

The same thing is happening with the rival team, the Nacional, also from Montevideo city. They were defeated 0-1 for Gremio, but that poor performance against the brazilian team made everyone worried. Analysing the team is possible to detect exactly the same situation; Munua (36), Scotti (37), Bava (32), Recoba (37), Alonso (34) and Medina (35).

Many veterans playing together in the same team is not ideal. “Only two experient players is the ideal for a football team” said the legendary german player Paul Breitner when he came to Brazil in 2013. The old star Álvaro Recoba, who were one of the best attacking midfielder of the world in the early 2000′s playing for Inter Milan, no doubt a very gifted player, could be still very useful for this team, but there are many veterans around him. This is not ideal to him express his game.

Certainly, one of the mainly reasons for this bad time is the cruel football market. The uruguayan football is selling a lot of young players every season for Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Europe and Asia. So, is visible the decay of the traditional teams of this small country, that are depending of players who are living the final phase of their careers. It’s tragic because the last time when an uruguayan team won the Copa Libertadores was 26 years ago.

Defensor save the homeland

The hope for uruguayan football is the viola colour. The Defensor won with autorithy against Real Garcilaso, from Peru (4-1). With an attrative, dynamic and vertical football, they trampled over peruvian side. Pay attention on the fantastic offensive trio Olivera-De Arrascaeta-Gedoz.

The playmaker De Arrascaeta, for example, was elected the second best player in the last FIFA World Cup Under-20, when Uruguay lost the final against France. There were contacts between Barcelona and De Arrascaeta after that tournament. He has only 19 years old and there are many european scouts around him in every single game of Defensor..

Olivera is an experience player who aggregates breaks and accelerations on the right moments of the game. He scored a had-trick and was very crucial for this interesting team. Also, the brazilian forward Gedoz was a nightmare for peruvian defenders with his sprints and crosses for both sides of the field. Gedoz was a great discovery. He came from south of Brazil, almost in the border with Uruguay, being discovered by Defensor scouts. Fast, young and aggressive with the ball, Gedoz has been noted by many european teams.

If there is any hope for uruguayan football in this current Copa Libertadores, this hope is the Defensor and his cheerful and vibrant game.