There wasn’t too much that went right for England when the groups were announced for this summer’s World Cup in Brazil. With the Three Lions set to meet Premier League top scorer Luis Suarez’s Uruguay side in their last match of the opening round, there’s high hopes that Roy Hodgson’s outfit will have already done enough to move on to the next round with the South Americans tipped as favourites to come out on top in what’s sure to be one of the choice meetings of the tournament.
England fans are already well aware of what the 31-league goal Liverpool striker can do and he’s not going to have any reason to pull his punches when his home country squares up against his adopted one. “We are a small country but the percentage of players we have is unbelievable. There’s a strong desire to achieve and to win something” explained the Reds hitman. “That’s what we have as Uruguayans, that desire.”
Although it’s a long road to the World Cup final, La Celeste have history on their side having last lifted the trophy in 1950 — the last time the tournament was held in Brazil. After finishing fourth in the last tournament in South Africa, Oscar Tabarez’s side will be looking to go all the way this time with the June 19th meeting with Roy Hodgon’s England outfit having the potential to hold progression to the next round in the balance. Though no one is expecting the Three Lions to roll over and play dead, Tabarez will have a leg-up in the match with Suarez’s knowledge of the Premier League his ace-in-the-hole.
“They have very good players that are in form and that are part of the big teams” said Suarez. “Most of the players come from the big names of the Premier League and that means a lot. But we also know that they have some troubles and we know we can hurt them.” England’s troubles have been all too apparent over the last few years with last summers showing at the European Championships a particularly dull affair. If the Uruguayan striker carries even half the form of his Premier League campaign onto this summer’s biggest stage, it won’t take much more than a quick one-two from the Liverpool maestro to send Roy Hodgson’s side down for the count.
