After a harsh qualification, Uruguay finally managed to obtain a place in South Africa, and they know they must make the most of this opportunity not to be left with a bitter taste in their mouth. They've entered a death group, facing World Cup's host South Africa along with an European giant (France) and a Latin American promise yet unable to take off (Mexico). They have booked their place for the World Cup upon a draw last November home, making their victory in the first leg of the South America/CONCACAF play-off be enough to take them to the Cup.
One of the many surprises for this match will be defender's Sebastián Coates, who will take the place of Mauricio Victorino and Alvaro Fernández, both unable to leave Chile after the vicious earthquake that shook the country the last few days.
They'll join Diego Lugano (team's captain) as well as Martín Cáceres off the fields, both still recovering from their injuries. It will take much work to fill the empty spaces these players are leaving behind, specially with so little time to spare, but the Maestro has always been an expert working against the clock. Another name is likely to be loudly heard: Ignacio Gonzalez, who has recovered its best level in the Greek football, and with him Uruguayan's offensive finds its last piece, coupling with young Nicolas Lodeiro (young midfielder who has just joined Ajax's squad after being called for the first time to wear the Celeste against Costa Rica) and Diego Forlan as different alternatives to get the ball where it hurts. It's strange not to see Santiago Silva called for this match, as he's been crowned champion and top scorer of Argentinean League. Nevertheless Sebastian Fernandez (Former Silva's team mate in Banfield) will be sitting in the bank eager to show he deserves a place within the starting eleven.
Switzerland surprised everyone during the qualifications stages, silently standing above France in their group. Now they have a dark future within group H, as it's unlikely to see them comfortable with Spain and Chile lurking around them. But team's expectations fly sky-high since Switzerland's U-17 National Football Team was crowned champion at Nigeria. This will be the ninth time the Helvetics take part in a World Cup, and Ottmar Hitzfeld is confident this will be the first time they get to quarter-finals or even further. It is yet to be seen how will team's coach be able to stand against Uruguay, as he'll be lacking four important players: Team's goalkeeper Diego Benaglio, Benjamin Huggel (from Basilea), Alexander Frei and Blaise Nkufo. But it does not cloud Hitzfeld's judgment: fast as lightning he called Xherdan Shaqir, Jonathan Rossini and Davide Chiumiento to represent their country for the first time in this match. Shaqiri, aged 18, was regarded by the coach as a diamond in the rough, being brought up as a star by Basilea's coach Thorsten Fink, and he has finally been given an oppotunity to lead a whole nation's glory towards the right end
