Uruguay vs. France - 7M sport

Uruguay vs. France



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Posted Wednesday, June 09, 2010 by cbc.ca

Uruguay vs. France
Uruguay's Luis Suarez, right, is one player France will have to try to stop.

Day 1, Match 2
Uruguay vs. France, Group A

Date and Location
June 11, Green Point Stadium, Cape Town

Broadcast details
Live on CBC and CBCSports.ca (2:15 p.m. ET). Consult CBC's full broadcast schedule.

What's at stake
Much like South Africa's tournament opener against Mexico, the result of this match will elevate or condemn the hopes of both teams. For France, it is the opportunity to prove it has hit the ground running, on course for a second straight final. For Uruguay, it is the chance to prove to the world that the country's national team has emerged from decades of underachievement to take their place among the world's best.

Injuries and suspensions
Uruguay's star striker Diego Forlan collided with teammate Walter Gargano and appeared to injure his left foot during a recent practice. Forlan is expected to start for Uruguay against France.

Player to watch for France
Patrice Evra — One of the world's best left-backs, Evra has skill to impress and speed to burn: one moment he will snuff out an attack with a clean tackle and the next moment he is in the opponent's end dribbling past his opposite number.

Player to watch for Uruguay
Luis Suarez — The 23-year-old scored over a goal a game for Ajax this past season and will tear through opposing defences — with his feet and his elbows — to get to the ball and provide a picturesque finish.

Key matchup
Walter Gargano vs. Yoann Gourcuff: Uruguay obstinacy versus French elegance — this promises to be an enthralling matchup: Gargano, a prototypical rough and tough Uruguayan holding midfielder against Gourcuff, the man proclaimed to be as good if not better than Zinedine Zidane.

French perspective
"They're an aggressive team, hard in the tackle and durable. They play with lots of intensity and have two forwards (Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez) who have talent and good movement." — midfielder Yoann Gourcuff

Uruguayan perspective
"Uruguay are going to put up a fight. It's our dream and personally I believe that until someone beats us and puts us out of the tournament, no one here will take that from their minds, that we can be world champions." — defender Diego Lugano

World Cup head-to-head
France has never beaten Uruguay in the World Cup: La Celeste Olímpica beat Les Bleus 2-1 in the group stages of England 1966. France's impotent run during the 2002 World Cup continued against Uruguay with a 0-0 draw.

Series: Uruguay leads 1-0-1
Games played: 2
Uruguay: 1 win, 0 losses, 1 draw
France: 0 wins, 1 loss, 1 draw
Goals: Uruguay 2, France 1
Last match: Both nations tied 0-0 in the group stage of the 2002 World Cup at the Asaid Main Stadium in Busan, Korea.
All-time head-to-head
Series: Tied 1-2-1
Games played: 4
France: 1 win, 1 loss, 2 draws
Uruguay: 1 win, 1 loss, 2 draws
Goals: France 3, Uruguay 2
Last match: France and Uruguay tied 0-0 on Nov. 19, 2008, in Saint-Denis



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