Don't stereotype us - Tabarez

Posted Friday, June 11, 2010 by PA

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez has rubbished his country's reputation as hatchet men ahead of their World Cup opener against France.

Tabarez's side take on the 1998 champions in Group A at Cape Town's Green Point Stadium on Friday still with question marks over their discipline.

The recent South American qualification campaign saw them amass 48 bookings and four red cards in 18 games.

Indeed, attacking midfielder Cristian Rodriguez was omitted from Tabarez's squad as he is suspended for two matches following a dismissal in the final qualifier against Argentina.

The 1930 and 1950 winners have earned a reputation for gamesmanship over the years through some memorably defensive and physical performances and courtesy of the likes of Paolo Montero, the notoriously aggressive former national team lynchpin.

Tabarez insists it is unfair to stereotype his team, however.

"I think almost all of the squads (in qualifying) had a number of red and yellow cards. Some, in fact, have far more than we did," he said. "Some of them are also here in South Africa.

"I knew this question would be asked at some point. I expected it.

"I'm happy to say that on March 3 this year we went for a friendly in Switzerland. We won there and Switzerland, who are also here, were given five yellow cards and we were given none.

"So we're talking about football here and I don't think it is right to interpret with a bias.

"We shouldn't link that to mistakes Uruguay made (in the past) when playing football."

Tabarez - whose side's arrival in Cape Town was delayed for four hours by aeroplane engine problems - added: "We have been respectful to all FIFA's fair play rules, from timetables and schedules to everything.

"We've always abided by FIFA's rules. When things don't go our way, I have my own opinion but we keep moving forward and I think that's what we have to do.

"Believe me, Uruguay's ambition is to win the match but we want it to be played fairly, a clean game, with people leaving the stadium happy with what they have seen."

Tabarez has already named his XI for the match, with the potent duo of Luis Suarez and Diego Forlan leading the line.

Forlan was his only minor injury doubt with a leg injury but the Atletico Madrid striker has recovered in time to play.

France coach Raymond Domenech remains unrepentant about his side's controversial qualification for the World Cup ahead of Friday's opener.

Domenech's side only reached South Africa courtesy of a Thierry Henry handball to set up William Gallas in their play-off second leg against the Republic of Ireland.

The Republic unsuccessfully appealed to FIFA to take action over the controversy, while Henry was roundly criticised for the crucial action and many in France were apologetic about the nature of their qualification.

Domenech, however, rejected suggestions his team do not deserve to be in South Africa.

"We finished second in our group, we won the play-off - incidentally it was the same for Uruguay who won their play-off," he said.

"Other teams won and qualified and there are 32 who qualified who deserved to qualify. That's football.

"The people who are here deserve to be here and obviously somebody will win at the end and they will have deserved to have won and not others."

Domenech admits the spirit within the camp is anything but "calm" - although he has played down reports of disunity.

The beleaguered boss has seen preparations for Friday's clash hampered by a friendly defeat by China and a petulant reaction from Gallas after being overlooked for the captaincy.

However, Domenech insists all is well with Les Bleus.

"I may seem calm," he said. "However, underneath all that there is something of a storm going on. We need to manage that, the 23 of us are ready and determined.

"I don't think the word we could use to describe the spirit in the team is calm. We are determined, we are ready, perhaps a little bit aggressive and impatient."

Domenech expects midfielder Jeremy Toulalan and defender Eric Abidal to be fit after both were rested during the course of this week.

New captain Patrice Evra believes his achievement can be partly attributed to the psychological strength garnered by his difficult start to life at Manchester United.

The full-back struggled in the second half of the 2005-06 season, but since then he has blossomed and that progression has culminated in him captaining his country.

"I feel pride and honour and a huge responsibility but I have my team-mates behind me," he said.

"We are very proud as a team and confident. We have a great deal of responsibility on our shoulders."