There’s an urban legend that a long time ago, 1981 to be precise, Uruguay won the South American Youth Championship tournament. How was such a thing possible? Is it true? Does video evidence exist of this triumph? Well probably not.
It was a different era, the tournament was held in Ecuador, If you got around to seeing MUNDIALITO the movie, you’ll know color television did not arrive to Uruguay till after 1981, so I’m assuming color footage does not exist, and video footage is probably harder to come by. Luckily for us, there were newspaper accounts and that fine website, Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF for short) continues to exist. RSSSF have the stats to prove that Uruguay did indeed win a Youth level tournament in 1981. This my friends should be celebrated, maybe as Uruguay supporters, we should each send RSSSF a small monetary donation, to keep this historical record up for future generations to see.
Yes I’m being sarcastic for dramatic effect. The reason for my sarcasm is obvious, Uruguay’s Under 20 team lost last night to Paraguay. Which in layman’s terms means that Uruguay will once again not challenge for the Under-20 South American title. 1981 is fast becoming the 1950 all Uruguay youth teams must match up to.
The Standard Bearers: The Squad that won the Sudamericano Juvenil in 1981.
I’ve been watching the South American Under-20 tournament on and off since 1999, I was actually in Uruguay for the 1999 edition (the team which had Forlan) and was able to see most of the games on television, I remember being impressed by Brazil which had Ronaldinho and Rodrigo Gral, a blonde curly haired striker who never really made the kind of impact Ronaldinho made professionally. In 2007 the tournament was finally shown on American television, and that was the year Uruguay had Cavani aka El Matador, Uruguay lost to Argentina in the final. I never got to see the Under-20 World Cup that followed, that team also featured Luis Suarez, I was introduced to Luis Suarez like most of you at the start of the 2010 World Cup Qualifiers in late 2007. The point I’m trying to make if you’ll bear with me, all these teams are known for one indispensable player, the “mythic” ’81 team had Francescoli, the ’99 had Forlan and the 2007 had Cavani. Players that have “can’t miss” stardom plastered all over their foreheads.
I was more impressed by Rodrigo Gral in 1999, little did I know that it would be Ronaldinho the world would eventually fall in love with.
I’m not saying this team doesn’t have that, in fact you can pick and choose possible superstars on this year’s edition of the Under-20 squad, such as Nico Lopez, Diego Laxalt, Rolan & Gonzalo Bueno… but for whatever the reason, the sums don’t add up at all. It’s sad that this drought continues at the youth level, because players never forget the negativity of not winning. This feeling stays with the players and is carried with them for the rest of their lives.
Despite entertaining in the group stage, Uruguay's championship drought continues at the Under-20 level.
For many years the senior side was cursed with this inferiority complex that no matter what they did in the World Cup, they would never be as good as that that team that won it all in 1950. And this is perhaps one of the problems of Uruguay’s football culture, too much emphasis is put on winning. Even Obdulio Varela once said that we should forget about Maracana and start a new page. But as Ondino Viera once said, “Other countries have their history. Uruguay has its football.” And this may be the problem at hand. 2010 presented a different discourse, that while winning it all is important, sometimes getting there is just as important.
And no, I’m not saying, lets celebrate second place, far from it, I am saying, step back a bit, look at the tournament as a whole, while this squad was far from perfect, they did entertain in the group stage. That’s important, for many years Uruguay fielded pragmatic teams that did their best to suck the joy out of football, I can’t say that about this team. Sunday will tell a different story, whether Uruguay qualifies to the Under-20 World Cup or not — and if they fail, then yes, you have my permission to curse out Verzeri 
Yorugua
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“People get really upset when their loyalty to the UNT is questioned, although it’s done in a perfectly polite language. What to do with that?”
What to do? Well sometimes questions are polite but not very intelligent?Sometimes questions are ultimative,although being polite.There is very polite way to disqualify somebody always.Maybe the politeness together with hidden accusation hurts more than rudeness?
I have explained.For me the love for Celeste doesnt mean that I am going to be blind or that I am going to change the object of my affection,like one changes the brand of cars or like unmature and confused woman changes husband or boyfriend.To love means to stay loyal,and transform its own character by staying loyal even in a hard times.It is opposite to consume.People are afraid to change,to lose their ego.So they chose two;either to change the partner,or to make themselve blind and sugarcoat the reality.Both of these are selfish and doesnt help to the one who is loved.The real love is to be aware of all faults,and to try to point at it,in order to be removed.I am not criticisizing because I enjoy it,but because I suffer from the unhappiness of someone I love.I want to change it,and not to leave it like it is,and change my perception,and point of view,instead.It will not help to Celeste.Therefore it is selfish attitude,and not love.
Sometimes sharp,destructive,merciless critics is more constructive and more proof of love than adorning and sugarcoating the cruel,objective truth.
To be loyal,also doesnt mean that you are indifferent to others quality or even to envy others.
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“I am not a Sith Lord…I do not deal in absolutes. I just never see much, if any …compliments on what this team was doing good. They attacked and defended weakly in the 1st Group…. they did the opposite in the next phase. You can call it luck or ugly futbol. But to compare it to Greece?”
I didnt compare their football to Greece?I said;that such attitude,of being only concerned with result at any price,leads inevitably to the consequence of playing like a Greece.Or if you want -to the last year’s Chelsea.I compare it as a perspective and consequence of attitude,Football is a play,it is not a war.In war you dont mind how,every means is useful.The victory only matters.Football is a play,and is important also how you win,sometimes even more than winning itself.People have to enjoy playing football,here and now,not to die of suffering 90 minutes,in order to explode of joy,after the referee’s last whistle.
As for “confused kids”,and “Brazils thinking of Zaire,instead of Italy”.These confused kids are already signed to the top European clubs,after the tournament,and Italy 1982 has beaten in final Germany.Did Germans also thought they were playing against Zaire?
Italy simply plays the way,that is not especially nice(but is not especially ugly,and hard as Greece or Martino’s Paraguay,too),but it wins.Sometimes their counterattcks are very simple and nice to watch.
But today’s,Prandelli’s Italy is something different.It is much more attacking,and creative team than ever in its history.
I didnt say Italy didnt deserve the title,I was talking of some spin and urban myth that simply,is not truth.
We are talking about totally different things.
I am not upset by you personally,but by your misunderstanding of what I wrote.You totally misunderstand and misinterpret my ideas.
Nothing personally.
But when you asked me about being fan of la celeste,it was personal.
It was like;” are you with us or against us”?
Than I started to think;” who could be the one who poses such a question”.
I didnt say,everything was bad with U20 celeste.On the contrary I said,this team is full of talented players like no one before.It is much better than the last one,who finish on the second place,only due to Neymar’s dream team being first.
I would expect such team accomplish much more,owing to the fact too,that Brazil and Argentina didnt pass to.
I blame for such fake success,of “must be happy that we qualify at all to Turkey”,Verzeri.I think Uruguay has got much better coaches,and I think that Verzeri would hinder and frustrate any team.
He had good luck in 2011,that Luna was in form with free kicks.That only brought Uruguay to the second place.We have seen how,when it didnt work,he passed on WC.If he would be a coach on WC in Turkey,Uruguay would finish the same like two years ago,and you would say,that it is normal,since “they are only confused kids kicking the ball around”.
It is not true.It is Verzeri,who is confused kid,not knowing that his place is not in football,but maybe in his engineering field,for which he is trained.
You see the half full glass,where it is absolutely obvious that it should be full to the top.Thats why for me the glass is empty.
Due to Verzeri one very promising generation,generation built up on former world vicechampion U17 team,is almost ruined,but certainly wingcut as if we should be happy for anything that is better than nothing.
He is incapable,and he is demagogue who puts the goal down,on purpose,in order to show his own failure as success.
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