It was snowing in Buenos Aires yesterday afternoon. Yes, it’s winter in the southern hemisphere, but the snow I speak of wasn’t frozen crystals of water. What was failing softly and blanketing the green grass was blue and white confetti. At the center of this snow globe scene were the joyful faces of the Uruguayan team. It was Christmas in July no question about it. After all, Uruguay had just been given the best gift a team can get on an odd-numbered year. They won the Copa America. And as an extra gift, this was the 15th time Uruguay have won the title edging out local rivals and hosts Argentina, who they beat on penalties (5-4) in the quarter-finals.
Uruguay Celebrate Victory in the Copa America
A couple Uruguayan’s went home with even more presents. Sebastian Coates picked up best youth player honors for the tournament after injuries forced him into the center-back role vacated by two other players (Godín and Victorino) early in the competition. There Coates performed magnificently, with some help and guidance from captain and center-back partner Diego Lugano and right-back Martín Cáceres.
Coates has help from Lugano in dissuading Chile's Suazo
The center-back pairing made a formidable threat upfront too. They should have had the opening goal in the final against Paraguay. Lugano redirected a corner kick, which Justo Villar was obliged to save. The rebound came straight at Coates, who did well to put it back on target. Chaos on the part of the Paraguayan defense inside the box meant that one of the defenders escaped from giving Uruguay a penalty when he handled Coates’ shot away to safety.
But the Paraguayans couldn’t hold the deadlock for long. Eleven minutes gone and Luis Suárez has found the back of the net. His style and goal scoring got Suárez an early Christmas gift this year too. He was voted the best player of the tournament. He could have pick up the award for top scorer (Suárez had 4. The top scorer was Paolo Guerrero from Peru with 5) too if only he come out with a hat trick in Paraguay’s 3-0 defeat.
But happily, for most concerned, the other two goals (41′ and 89′) went to Diego Forlán. Dispite setting up nearly every goal Uruguay scored, those two goals were the only two he managed all tournament. He won the Golden Ball in South Africa when Uruguay finished fourth, but after he lost form mid-way though last season, it looked like the legionary Forlán was done for. At the age of 32, he isn’t likely to get much more in the way of international competition. But winning the Copa is a family tradition (his father and grandfather have both won), so scoring in the final and winning a record-braking 15th Copa America with teammates who have worked so well together and so hard for each other is no less than he deserves.
Forlán Celebrates his First Goal Against Paraguay
In the second half, Paraguay pushed and it was up to Fernando Muslera to keep the ball out of the net. The brilliance of Uruguay’s top goalie should have given him the award as best goalkeeper. But it went instead to Paraguay’s Justo Villar owing to the fact that Paraguay made the finals without scoring a single goal after the group stage, which were all ties (0-0, 2-2 and 3-3). This meant that they also had to have shutouts in the knockout rounds and that they had to win on penalties. Fair play then to Villar for allowing Paraguay to survive despite their shaky defense and less than stellar attacking options.
Yet, Uruguayan fans the world over will say Muslera is the best. He was the deciding factor against a strong Argentina side. They practically stood around in Uruguay’s half in the quarter-finals after Uruguay went down to 10 men early on and took pot shots on goal. Most memorable of all was Muslera’s double save. When Tevez fired a free kick in, Muslera had to go down to save it and it ricocheted off his body straight to Higuain, who fired it back in. Somehow Muslera managed to get back up in time to block the second shot. Just inhumanly awesome!
Muslera Saves a Rebound Shot from Higuain
As if all their skill wasn’t enough, Uruguay also picked up the Fair Play award proving nice guys do finish first. So here’s to you boys of the celestial blue. Good on you for being team players with talent to spare and not starting too many fights. What more could we ask for than entertainment without blood shed with tears of joy and pride for a job well done at the end.
Fanatical for Football 