Uruguay capable of 2010 repeat says Lodeiro

Natal (Brazil), June 25 :

Uruguay midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro said Tuesday that the current Celeste team is capable of at least matching their top-four finish at the 2010 World Cup.

The two-time World Cup winners advanced to the tournament’s knockout phase after Diego Godin’s late strike earned them a 1-0 victory over Italy at the Arena das Dunas stadium, reports Xinhua.

“Our objective is to do that (repeat 2010),” the 25-year-old Corinthians midfielder said.

“Later we’ll see, but now it’s time to rest and think about our next match.”

Uruguay were the surprise of the 2010 tournament in South Africa, where they were beaten at the second last hurdle by the Netherlands.

Lodeiro praised the positive spirit among his teammates, insisting the team will be prepared for any opponent in their next match — a round of 16 duel at Rio’s Maracana stadium.

“We are ready to face any team,” the Corinthians playmaker said.

“The first goal for us was to get through. To do it the way we did makes it more satisfying.”

“We have great players, but more importantly we are a strong team. The base is more or less the same as 2010. We are learning from the mistakes we made then and trying to fix them. The key is to stay together and see how far we can go.”

(IANS)