Uruguay, Paraguay set for surprise Copa finale

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  After two successive finals involving Brazil and Argentina, most South American football fans expected a battle of the giants in the final of the Copa America.
  Instead, they can look forward to a duel between two nations whose populations barely reach the ten million of Bolivia between them, never mind the 190 million of Brazil alone.
  Uruguay will be overwhelming favourites to see off Paraguay and clinch a record 15th continental crown, their first since 1995, to break their tie with Argentina.
  But Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez is keen to play down the favourites' mantle.
  "We have a lot of potential but Uruguay need not think it would be a disaster to come second. However, of course we believe we can win it - we have faith in ourselves and we are well prepared," said the coach.
  Argentina had expected to land a 15th Copa for themselves but instead the hosts fell to Uruguay in a quarter-final shootout to leave coach Sergio Batista fighting for his job.
  Brazil likewise made a quarter-final exit to Paraguay after failing to convert any of their kicks and Paraguay were at it again in defeating Venezuela to reach their first final since their second triumph in 1979.
  Paraguay, who will likely pin their hopes on Lucas Barrios and Nelson Haedo Valdez in attack with Roque Santa Cruz still not fully fit, also won the event in 1953 and were runners-up on five occasions.
  Yet here, the talk is of how they have reached Sunday's showdown at River Plate's Estadio Monumental by drawing all their matches.
  But it is Uruguay, despite having only a 3.5 million population to draw on, who have shaped the history of the world's oldest international football tournament with their 14 wins and six final losses in 42 previous editions.
  They will be looking to Diego Forlan, the top scorer at the 2010 World Cup, to find the target for the first time at the tournament.
  Paraguayan midfielder Edgar Barreto insists his team do not deserve to have a negative label pinned on them.
  "Everyone says how we have not won any of our games, but we didn't lose any either," said Barreto in looking back at the shootout successes over first Brazil and then Venezuela.
  Three of their games ended goalless though they were entertaining enough in a 2-2 group draw with the Brazilians and a 3-3 draw with Venezuela thereafter, when they let slip a 3-1 lead in the dying minutes.
  On Uruguay, Barreto said: "They are a balanced side with a lot of quality and we have to pick away at their weak points to hurt them."
  Defender Ivan Piris says reaching the final is not enough now they are there.
  "We want more now. We want to be the champions for the first time in 32 years and make history."
  Uruguay's Lazio midfielder Alvaro Gonzalez expects a tight contest.
  "Paraguay play the way they play - we know how this team works. They play it very tight and it's very difficult to get into their box. They deserve to be in the final. They played Brazil, one of the big favourites, twice and didn't lose."
  Young defender Sebastian Coates adds: "Paraguay will be tough opponents, given their history and tradition," while skipper Diego Lugano forecasts that "it will be a great battle."
  The winner of Sunday's game will go forward to represent South America's CONMEBOL association in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup hosted by Brazil.
  
  Possible line ups of the teams:
  Uruguay: 1-Fernando Muslera, 16-Maxi Pereira, 2-Diego Lugano, 4- Sebastián Coates and 22-Martín Cáceres; 15-Diego Pérez, 17-Egidio Arévalo Ríos, 11-Álvaro Pereira and 20-Álvaro González; 9-Luis Suárez and 10-Diego Forlán. Coach: Oscar Tabárez.
  Paraguay: 1-Justo Villar, 2-Darío Verón, 14-Paulo Da Silva, 5-Antolín Alcaraz and 17-Aureliano Torres; 13-Enrique Vera, 8- Edgar Barreto, 16-Cristian Riveros and 21-Marcelo Estigarribia; 18- Nelson Haedo Valdez and 19-Lucas Barrios. Coach: Gerardo Martino.
  
  The stars of the game:
  Uruguay: The ‘celeste’ team has as highlights its offensive attack trio: Luis Suarez, Diego Forlán and Edinson Cavani. Luis Suarez, 24, is the talisman of the 9 shirt. He was the player who putted his hand in the game against Ghana in 2010 World Cup, saving a goal that would eliminate the ‘celeste’. Liverpool player, Suarez moved to the England team and it's a reference to the team. He scored two goals in the 2-0 victory over Peru, in the semifinals. Edinson Cavani, also 24, is the great revelation of Uruguay. Playing in Italy, he did a very good season and is the highlight of his team. Diego Forlán, 32, was the best player in the last World Cup. He is the great experience of the attack and reference to the other two players. Other stars of the national team are Diego Lugano and Fernando Muslera (elected the best player of the match against Argentina).
  Paraguay: Paraguayan national team invests in the experienced former striker Roque Santa Cruz. The forward has 29 years, comes to his third Copa America, being the player who did the most goals among the squad with 24 goals. Nevertheless, Santa Cruz should not play against Venezuela because of an injury, and the responsibility of scoring goals is now in Haedo Valdez and Lucas Barrios. Other star of the team is Justo Villar (elected the best player of the match against Brazil and hero of the penalty shoot-out against Venezuela). 
  
  Curiosities of the Confrontation:
  - This confrontation has happened 67 times, with 31 wins of Uruguay, Paraguay has 23 wins and 13 draws. Uruguay scored 104 and Paraguay goals 89 times.
  - For the Copa America were 24 matches with 13 wins of Uruguay, Paraguay has six wins and five draws. Uruguay scored 50 times and Paraguay scored 32 goals.
  - Top scorer of the clash in the Copa America is the Uruguayan Héctor Castro, with 4 goals.
  - The teams never faced each other at the final.
  - The Paraguayan national team has not won Uruguay in the Copa America since 64 years ago. In this period were 13 games, with eight wins and five draws of the Celeste.
  - When the teams met in the qualifying rounds, Uruguay won. In 1999, in the quarter-finals, the game ended tied at 1-1, went to the penalties and Celeste won by 5-3. The other game was in 2004, also for the quarterfinals, and finished 3-1 to Uruguay.
  - The Paraguayan national team comes to a final after 34 years when they won the Copa America in 1979.
  - For the first time in this new format of the Copa America, that happened since 1993, a selection reaches the final of the tournament without winning a single match. Paraguay drew the fifth game the team did against Ecuador (0-0), Brazil (2-2) Venezuela (3-3), Brazil (0-0) and Venezuela (0-0).
  - Paraguay is the most "foreign" out of the 12 participants, with three Argentines in the squad, plus the coach Gerardo Martino.
  - Uruguay is the team that participated in more Copa America editions, going 41 times.
  - The Celeste is also the most time champion, along with Argentina, with 14 titles. As the host selection has been eliminated, Uruguay has the chance to become the biggest winner.
  - On the other hand the Paraguayan national team has won twice in 1953 and 1979.
  - The referee Salvio Spinola Fagundes already refereed two games in this edition. The duels were Argentina 0-0 Colombia and Chile 1-0 Peru.
  
  The last duel:
  In the last duel, Paraguay won Uruguay for the 2010 World Cup Qualifiers. The victory by 2-0, took place in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 2009. The goals were scored by Diego Forlan and Diego Lugano.
  
  
  Source: ca2011.com