Uruguay will be aiming to make it two in a row when it travels to Asuncion to do battle with Paraguay on Tuesday.
Copa America champions Uruguay have never won a World Cup qualifier in Paraguay before, however, their outstanding recent form means that they could make history at the Defensores del Chaco stadium.
Having crushed Paraguay 3-0 in the Copa America final in July, the Uruguayans will be confident to pull off a big result that would see them reach six points, after claiming a comfortable 4-2 victory over Bolivia in Montevideo on Friday.
Uruguay boss, Oscar Washington Tabarez, is likely to field the same side that disposed of Boliva with relative ease, meaning that dangerous strikers Diego Forlan, Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani will be present. The only difference will be that Cavani will slot into midfield, as Tabarez has opted for a 4-4-2 formation this time around.
La Celeste are on top of their game, and since finishing fourth in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, not only did they win the Copa America on Argentine soil, but they have climbed into fourth-place of the FIFA World Ranking.
Paraguay, on the other hand, haven't been in great form since losing to Uruguay in the Copa America final. They come from a frustrating 2-0 defeat against Peru in Lima, and recently hired boss Francisco Arce will already be feeling the heat if his team don´t manage to pick up a positive result against Uruguay.
Arce is unlikely to count with the services of Edgar Barreto and Elvis Marecos for the match with Uruguay, as both players picked up injuries against Peru. Due to this and the fact that his troops underperformed in Lima he has been forced to make some changes, as strikers Roque Santa Cruz and Robin Martinez will be replaced by Nelson Haedo Valdez and Oscar Cardozo, respectively.
Despite their disappointing start to the qualifiers, Paraguay have a good home record against the Uruguayans, having won the last meeting between the sides 1-0 in Asuncion.
Valdez, scorer of that goal, declared "This match is extremely important for us, but we can't begin to get desperate, because similar moments were lived in the last qualifiers." The Rubin Kazan striker added that "Uruguay are stronger than ever."
Although historically Paraguay have had the upper-hand in clashes between the sides in Asuncion, this time they will have to be on their guard, because Uruguay have several players who can win a match on their own.
Having crushed Paraguay 3-0 in the Copa America final in July, the Uruguayans will be confident to pull off a big result that would see them reach six points, after claiming a comfortable 4-2 victory over Bolivia in Montevideo on Friday.
Uruguay boss, Oscar Washington Tabarez, is likely to field the same side that disposed of Boliva with relative ease, meaning that dangerous strikers Diego Forlan, Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani will be present. The only difference will be that Cavani will slot into midfield, as Tabarez has opted for a 4-4-2 formation this time around.
La Celeste are on top of their game, and since finishing fourth in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, not only did they win the Copa America on Argentine soil, but they have climbed into fourth-place of the FIFA World Ranking.
Paraguay, on the other hand, haven't been in great form since losing to Uruguay in the Copa America final. They come from a frustrating 2-0 defeat against Peru in Lima, and recently hired boss Francisco Arce will already be feeling the heat if his team don´t manage to pick up a positive result against Uruguay.
Arce is unlikely to count with the services of Edgar Barreto and Elvis Marecos for the match with Uruguay, as both players picked up injuries against Peru. Due to this and the fact that his troops underperformed in Lima he has been forced to make some changes, as strikers Roque Santa Cruz and Robin Martinez will be replaced by Nelson Haedo Valdez and Oscar Cardozo, respectively.
Despite their disappointing start to the qualifiers, Paraguay have a good home record against the Uruguayans, having won the last meeting between the sides 1-0 in Asuncion.
Valdez, scorer of that goal, declared "This match is extremely important for us, but we can't begin to get desperate, because similar moments were lived in the last qualifiers." The Rubin Kazan striker added that "Uruguay are stronger than ever."
Although historically Paraguay have had the upper-hand in clashes between the sides in Asuncion, this time they will have to be on their guard, because Uruguay have several players who can win a match on their own.
