Post by Natu on Jul 12, 2004 2:23:45 GMT
Jorge Daniel Fossati
by Jorge Savia, journalist for El País, from Montevideo (URU)
One can say that Uruguay will be starring a new coach at the Copa América, because Jorge Fossati, the man who has just replaced Juan Ramón Carrasco (sacked in the wake of the historic 3-nil hammering that the Uruguayans suffered at the hands of Venezuela, at the Centenario Stadium, on March 31st) has already said that his true coaching debut will take place at the World Cup Qualifiers against Peru and Colombia, which has become an emergency situation.
Well, due to these circumstances, it is hard to tell what will happen to Uruguay, since not even the coach himself knows which players he will - or should - call up for the event.
Fossati seems to clearly understand, from the very start, that Uruguayan football has been a victim in recent years of the syndrome of weariness that, from May onwards, befalls all players who have finished long and exhausting seasons at their European clubs, and due to this, he has said that, with the World Cup Qualifiers in mind, he will not sacrifice his best players, the ones who exert leadership, because they are stressed physically and mentally after having played over 50 or 60 matches in the last 12 months.
With this scenario in mind, it is clear that Fossati will not take to the Copa América players, such as Alvaro Recoba, from Inter Milan; Pablo García, from Spanish Osasuna; Richard Núñez, from Switzerland's Grasshoppers; Walter Pandiani, from Deportivo La Coruña; Gianni Guigou, from Italian Siena or Javier Ernesto Chevantón, who was one of the new findings in the last Italian league season, becoming the top scorer at minnows Lecce.
Without these athletes, one can safely state that the National Team representing Uruguay at the Copa América is a mystery, and, undoubtedly, with positive or negative results, the integration and performance will be a sort of "discovery" for everyone: from the coach to the people.
Beware, though, nothing said previously means that the Uruguayans will compete in the Copa América with an under-strength side, because Uruguay has plenty of players plying their trade abroad, so most of them - the first-choice players, at least - will be top class footballers who are playing in foreign clubs. Certainly, Fabian Carini will be the goalkeeper and Diego Forlán will play in attack. But definitely, even depleted of their more famous players, the participation in the Copa América, in Peru, will be a testing ground for the Uruguayans, specially for the coach, who is determined to mount a revamped squad - for the matches against Peru and Colombia - that will play in accordance with his ideas, with a clear purpose of establishing a new work plan. The formation proposed by Fossati is the 3-4-1-2, with his men moving the ball around every sector of the field of play. He won't be as bold as Carrasco, who did get some positive results, but on the other hand, was demolished by rivals Paraguay and Venezuela, that scored a total of 7 goals in two matches. However, his game plan by no means resembles the traditional defensive system that marked the glorious Uruguayan soccer of the 20th Century.
This is something different. Neither old, nor modern. Fossati's Uruguay is simply launching a new era. And the Copa América will be his launching platform. So, whatever the outcome, the result will be discovery.
by Jorge Savia, journalist for El País, from Montevideo (URU)
One can say that Uruguay will be starring a new coach at the Copa América, because Jorge Fossati, the man who has just replaced Juan Ramón Carrasco (sacked in the wake of the historic 3-nil hammering that the Uruguayans suffered at the hands of Venezuela, at the Centenario Stadium, on March 31st) has already said that his true coaching debut will take place at the World Cup Qualifiers against Peru and Colombia, which has become an emergency situation.
Well, due to these circumstances, it is hard to tell what will happen to Uruguay, since not even the coach himself knows which players he will - or should - call up for the event.
Fossati seems to clearly understand, from the very start, that Uruguayan football has been a victim in recent years of the syndrome of weariness that, from May onwards, befalls all players who have finished long and exhausting seasons at their European clubs, and due to this, he has said that, with the World Cup Qualifiers in mind, he will not sacrifice his best players, the ones who exert leadership, because they are stressed physically and mentally after having played over 50 or 60 matches in the last 12 months.
With this scenario in mind, it is clear that Fossati will not take to the Copa América players, such as Alvaro Recoba, from Inter Milan; Pablo García, from Spanish Osasuna; Richard Núñez, from Switzerland's Grasshoppers; Walter Pandiani, from Deportivo La Coruña; Gianni Guigou, from Italian Siena or Javier Ernesto Chevantón, who was one of the new findings in the last Italian league season, becoming the top scorer at minnows Lecce.
Without these athletes, one can safely state that the National Team representing Uruguay at the Copa América is a mystery, and, undoubtedly, with positive or negative results, the integration and performance will be a sort of "discovery" for everyone: from the coach to the people.
Beware, though, nothing said previously means that the Uruguayans will compete in the Copa América with an under-strength side, because Uruguay has plenty of players plying their trade abroad, so most of them - the first-choice players, at least - will be top class footballers who are playing in foreign clubs. Certainly, Fabian Carini will be the goalkeeper and Diego Forlán will play in attack. But definitely, even depleted of their more famous players, the participation in the Copa América, in Peru, will be a testing ground for the Uruguayans, specially for the coach, who is determined to mount a revamped squad - for the matches against Peru and Colombia - that will play in accordance with his ideas, with a clear purpose of establishing a new work plan. The formation proposed by Fossati is the 3-4-1-2, with his men moving the ball around every sector of the field of play. He won't be as bold as Carrasco, who did get some positive results, but on the other hand, was demolished by rivals Paraguay and Venezuela, that scored a total of 7 goals in two matches. However, his game plan by no means resembles the traditional defensive system that marked the glorious Uruguayan soccer of the 20th Century.
This is something different. Neither old, nor modern. Fossati's Uruguay is simply launching a new era. And the Copa América will be his launching platform. So, whatever the outcome, the result will be discovery.
;D