Uruguay’s future in the World Cup hangs by a thread. The Uruguayan team travels this Friday to the south of Doha to face the mighty Ghana at the Al Janoub stadium with the hope of not having to pack their bags. The victory is non-negotiable to be in the round of 16 but it may not be enough. Once strapped in, it will be time to turn your gaze towards Education City Stadium and trust that South Korea will not beat Portugal and the job will be done. Although then expect Brazil.
The tension is evident in a team that closes in Qatar one of the most brilliant stages in its history, titles aside. Players like Luis Suárez, Godín, Cáceres or Cavani say goodbye and want one last dance. But they are against the ropes. Outside doors they try to hide that anxiety. The charrúa trained on Thursday afternoon at their headquarters in Al Erssal. From the lawn, the skyscrapers of Doha’s West Bay can be seen in the background. The print is precious and can be misleading. In the green, everything is different. There are laughs. There are jokes. But inside they all know that it may be their last training session in the desert.
As is mandatory by FIFA, before the session the coach Diego Alonso and the striker Luis Suárez appeared before the media at the Convention Center. And there some wounds did show through. The physical state of Ronald Araújo continues to be the subject of discussion, as has been the case since the World Cup began. The blaugrana, who underwent surgery on his right thigh tendon at the end of September, continues to train on the sidelines and his possible reappearance is a source of conflict with Barça. “Whether he plays or not I will always decide, as I am the coach. We agreed with Barça that when he was discharged he could play and if there was no agreement, it will be a third party that decides ”, Diego Alonso settled.
This Uruguay-Ghana, moreover, is a repeat of the 2010 World Cup quarterfinals. Then, Luis Suárez prevented a Ghanaian goal with his hand and then Ayew missed the penalty. The charrúa would qualify by penalties. Twelve years later, that action is still kicking. “I don’t have to apologize for what happened. I didn’t miss that penalty, it was missed by another player (Gyan). I would apologize if I had injured a teammate but taking the penalty was not my responsibility”, insisted Luis Suárez. Uruguay’s spirit of survival is put to the test again. It’s on the edge.
