#9-Uruguay

#9-Uruguay
Nickname-La Celeste (The Sky Blue)
CONMEBOL
FIFA Ranking-#11
Group G (Uruguay, Costa Rica, Italy, England)
Projected Results...
Tie to England
Tie to Italy
Win to Costa Rica
Manager-Oscar Tabarez
Qualified through 5th place in CONMEBOL WC Qualifying Group
12th World Cup Appearance (1930, 1950, 1954, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1986, 1990, 2002, 2010)

This was a pretty ballsy pick that I made, given that I picked Uruguay over England to advance. Italy was a fair pick to advance over England, but Uruguay was risky. So why did I pick them? It's really two words-Luis Suarez. He's the best striker in the world for me at the moment, and is one of the reasons why Liverpool are in first place in the Premier League this year. This team went out in the semi-finals to the Netherlands last World Cup. Edinson Cavani will be great alongside Luis Suarez, as I think they're arguably the best one-two punch in the tournament. Will Diego Forlan make a difference at age 34? I hope so, because I'm a huge fan of his. The midfield for Uruguay will be the weak spot, as their defense is very experienced, and their forwards are top quality. So this is why I picked them to finish ahead of England. I know it's a risky choice, but I like to live dangerously. Let's review Cavani, Suarez, and Gaston Ramirez, their best midfielder in my opinion.

Edinson Cavani-Great, great player for PSG in France. He is a special player who scores at a great rate, and you can tell by looking at his 20 goals in 60 appearances for Uruguay. Can't wait to see him play up front with Suarez. He's 27, so he's in his prime.

Luis Suarez-If you've watched Liverpool this year, then you'd have seen why he's such a special player. He makes everyone better, and even though teams dedicate their game plan to stopping him, he still essentially scores when he wants. If he's not scoring, he's opening up space for his teammates. He's such a pain in the ass to play against, and he can really get under opponents' skin. He's 27 as well, and he's in 77 appearances he's scored 38 goals. This was vintage Suarez last World Cup. 

Gaston Ramirez-Quality midfielder from spunky Southampton in the Premier League. Really like him, he's up and coming and will be very important in building up play and setting up Suarez and Cavani. He's young (23), so he needs to stay composed and just stay within himself. He has 26 appearances for Uruguay, and hasn't found the back of the net yet, but that will come in time.

I'm stoked to watch this team, and they won't be boring. I think they'll be out in the round of 16, but I think they're a good team and would definitely not be surprised if they finished higher.