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November 22, 2009 2:59 PM Fitting that Uruguay will compete in South Africa
Posted by Tim Vickery Comments0Recommend7 Subscribe to RSS And so the last went to the first. In Montevideo's Centenario Stadium, the venue where they won the inaugural World Cup back in 1930, Uruguay drew 1-1 with Costa Rica to win 2-1 on aggregate and claim the 32nd spot in South Africa next year.
As the tournament heads to Africa for the first time, it is wholly appropriate that Uruguay will be represented. The sky blues were pioneers in the selection of afro-descendents.
Pioneers
In 1916, when the first Copa America was played, Uruguay fielded two black players: Isabelino Gradin and Juan Delgado. Opponents Chile protested; Uruguay, they argued, were cheating by picking Africans.
Gradin was top scorer in the tournament, which Uruguay won. Three years later he was in form again as Uruguay came second to Brazil. Staged in Rio de Janeiro, Gradin's presence on the field in that Copa America tournament 80 years ago was hugely significant. Brazil had abolished slavery just 20 years before. Brazilian blacks had yet to make much of a mark on football - there was Artur Friedenreich, who scored the decisive goal, but he was the son of a German born into a middle class family. In Gradin the Brazilian blacks could see themselves. If he could do it, why can't we? The Uruguayan striker is part of a process that would lead to the global consecration of a boy born 21 years later in a Brazilian backwater, who came to be known as Pele.
In 1924 Uruguay turned up as unknowns for the Paris Olympics and walked away with the title. To my mind this triumph represents the birth of the modern game.
Birth of the modern game
Firstly Uruguay's style of play, ballet-like and full of short passes, captivated observers and set off a fever for the game.
Second, it was clear that football had outgrown the Olympics. A tournament was needed where professionals could also compete - and so the World Cup was born, staged and won by Uruguay six years later.
Once again, in 1924 the star man in the Uruguay team was black, attacking midfielder Jose Leandro Andrade. He was the first black player most of the Europeans had seen, and was perhaps football's first international superstar. It is indeed entirely fitting that the sky blue shirt worn he graced will be on show next year in South Africa.
None of this happened in a vacuum. Football in South America was introduced by the British, and took its first stops in an elite environment. Uruguay's early prowess is no coincidence. Enlightened social policies in the country made it possible for the game to spread downwards, and quickly be taken up by all classes and races. Uruguay had an early welfare state.
Nov. 10 was the anniversary of the introduction of the eight-hour working day in 1915. Government policy was socially inclusive. And so while in Brazil players were still largely restricted to the upper classes, Uruguay was able to call on footballing resources from all ranks of society.
Victims of their own success
It was too good to last. In fact, Uruguay soon became victims of their own success. They did so much to popularize the game - in playing style, organisation and social composition of the players. But once football had caught on as a global phenomenon it was impossible for a nation of little over three million people to maintain its pre-eminence.
They won the World Cup again in 1950, and the first match they lost in the tournament was not until the 1954 semifinal against the great Hungarians, in a match that went into extra time. Six years later, when the magazine World Soccer was launched, its debut edition carried a feature on this game as the greatest ever played.
For Uruguay the result was especially sad. It represented the end of an era. Since then they have not even been automatic qualifiers, missing out on five of the last eight World Cups.
Initially defeat hurt badly. It felt like a betrayal. Other countries have their history, goes the saying, while Uruguay has its football. This is when the sky blues picked up a reputation for violence and intimidation, repelling opposing strikers as if they were invaders.
In time losing lost some of its power, and successive generations of Uruguayans have grown up accustomed to the fact that their country are unlikely to be world champions again.
But they are still able to punch above their weight - and have been investing in youth work to ensure they keep doing so. Uruguay performed well this year in both the Under-17 and Under-20 World Cups. Priority has been given to the development of technically gifted players - and the jewel in the crown has just started shining at senior level.
Captain of the Under-20 side Nicolas Lodeiro was thrown into the deep end. In his first games for the Uruguay's senior team he was given the responsibility of setting up the attacks in the two-legged playoff against Costa Rica.
The little left footed midfielder took to it wonderfully well, living a performance in Montevideo full of bright ideas and precise passing.
And as he was showing the way to the World Cup, the drums were pounding out in the Centenario Stadium - a pulsating reminder of Africa's contribution to Uruguayan football.
November 22, 2009 2:59 PM Fitting that Uruguay will compete in South Africa
Posted by Tim Vickery Comments0Recommend7 Subscribe to RSS And so the last went to the first. In Montevideo's Centenario Stadium, the venue where they won the inaugural World Cup back in 1930, Uruguay drew 1-1 with Costa Rica to win 2-1 on aggregate and claim the 32nd spot in South Africa next year.
As the tournament heads to Africa for the first time, it is wholly appropriate that Uruguay will be represented. The sky blues were pioneers in the selection of afro-descendents.
Pioneers
In 1916, when the first Copa America was played, Uruguay fielded two black players: Isabelino Gradin and Juan Delgado. Opponents Chile protested; Uruguay, they argued, were cheating by picking Africans.
Gradin was top scorer in the tournament, which Uruguay won. Three years later he was in form again as Uruguay came second to Brazil. Staged in Rio de Janeiro, Gradin's presence on the field in that Copa America tournament 80 years ago was hugely significant. Brazil had abolished slavery just 20 years before. Brazilian blacks had yet to make much of a mark on football - there was Artur Friedenreich, who scored the decisive goal, but he was the son of a German born into a middle class family. In Gradin the Brazilian blacks could see themselves. If he could do it, why can't we? The Uruguayan striker is part of a process that would lead to the global consecration of a boy born 21 years later in a Brazilian backwater, who came to be known as Pele.
In 1924 Uruguay turned up as unknowns for the Paris Olympics and walked away with the title. To my mind this triumph represents the birth of the modern game.
Birth of the modern game
Firstly Uruguay's style of play, ballet-like and full of short passes, captivated observers and set off a fever for the game.
Second, it was clear that football had outgrown the Olympics. A tournament was needed where professionals could also compete - and so the World Cup was born, staged and won by Uruguay six years later.
Once again, in 1924 the star man in the Uruguay team was black, attacking midfielder Jose Leandro Andrade. He was the first black player most of the Europeans had seen, and was perhaps football's first international superstar. It is indeed entirely fitting that the sky blue shirt worn he graced will be on show next year in South Africa.
None of this happened in a vacuum. Football in South America was introduced by the British, and took its first stops in an elite environment. Uruguay's early prowess is no coincidence. Enlightened social policies in the country made it possible for the game to spread downwards, and quickly be taken up by all classes and races. Uruguay had an early welfare state.
Nov. 10 was the anniversary of the introduction of the eight-hour working day in 1915. Government policy was socially inclusive. And so while in Brazil players were still largely restricted to the upper classes, Uruguay was able to call on footballing resources from all ranks of society.
Victims of their own success
It was too good to last. In fact, Uruguay soon became victims of their own success. They did so much to popularize the game - in playing style, organisation and social composition of the players. But once football had caught on as a global phenomenon it was impossible for a nation of little over three million people to maintain its pre-eminence.
They won the World Cup again in 1950, and the first match they lost in the tournament was not until the 1954 semifinal against the great Hungarians, in a match that went into extra time. Six years later, when the magazine World Soccer was launched, its debut edition carried a feature on this game as the greatest ever played.
For Uruguay the result was especially sad. It represented the end of an era. Since then they have not even been automatic qualifiers, missing out on five of the last eight World Cups.
Initially defeat hurt badly. It felt like a betrayal. Other countries have their history, goes the saying, while Uruguay has its football. This is when the sky blues picked up a reputation for violence and intimidation, repelling opposing strikers as if they were invaders.
In time losing lost some of its power, and successive generations of Uruguayans have grown up accustomed to the fact that their country are unlikely to be world champions again.
But they are still able to punch above their weight - and have been investing in youth work to ensure they keep doing so. Uruguay performed well this year in both the Under-17 and Under-20 World Cups. Priority has been given to the development of technically gifted players - and the jewel in the crown has just started shining at senior level.
Captain of the Under-20 side Nicolas Lodeiro was thrown into the deep end. In his first games for the Uruguay's senior team he was given the responsibility of setting up the attacks in the two-legged playoff against Costa Rica.
The little left footed midfielder took to it wonderfully well, living a performance in Montevideo full of bright ideas and precise passing.
And as he was showing the way to the World Cup, the drums were pounding out in the Centenario Stadium - a pulsating reminder of Africa's contribution to Uruguayan football.
Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 
05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015
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