ARGENTINA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: Uruguay looking forward to World Cup qualifiers after beating Paraguay to win Copa America title

Record ID: 1525953

  • Title: ARGENTINA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: Uruguay looking forward to World Cup qualifiers after beating Paraguay to win Copa America title
  • Date: 26th July 2011
  • Summary: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (JULY 24, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF BUS CARRYING URUGUAY SOCCER TEAM ARRIVING AT STADIUM AND FANS CHEERING URUGUAYAN COACH OSCAR WASHINGTON TABAREZ ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) OSCAR TABAREZ, URUGUAY COACH, SAYING; "This is an historic development that simply allows us to recover a certain amount of validity but we need to be very attentive to the path we go down or we risk that validity. No one wins just because. I think there are causes more than casualties in this Copa America." VARIOUS OF URUGUAY PLAYER LUIS SUAREZ RECEIVING BEST PLAYER AWARD FROM SPONSOR LG (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LUIS SUAREZ, URUGUAY PLAYER, SAYING: "I think this group made a huge effort to obtain what was obtained and if you're not a group inside and outside the field, I think it's difficult to reach the objective and I think that we deserved it for all the effort we were making." PARAGUAY COACH GERARDO 'TATA' MARTINO ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) GERARDO 'TATA' MARTINO, PARAGUAY COACH, SAYING: "I noticed today and during the past week I've noticed the entire team is enthusiastic but very physically deteriorated. And it's true that when Paraguay is physically deteriorated, it distances itself a bit from being Paraguay." VARIOUS OF FANS OUTSIDE STADIUM
  • Embargoed: 10th August 2011 04:18
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Argentina, Argentina
  • Country: Argentina
  • Topics: Sport
  • Reuters ID: LVA5OX6CXWYI3U87YS8UL3KOD06Z
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: Winning the Copa America is wonderful but gives no guarantees of success in the World Cup qualifiers, Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez said after his team's record triumph over on Sunday (July 24).
    Uruguay confirmed its status as South America's best team with their 3-0 victory over Paraguay in the Copa America final after reaching the last four in the 2010 World Cup.
    "This is an historic development that simply allows us to recover a certain amount of validity but we need to be very attentive to the path we go down or we risk that validity. No one wins just because. I think there are causes more than casualties in this Copa America," he told a news conference at River Plate's Monumental stadium where a crowd of 55,000 watched his team win the final.
    The South American qualifiers, a nine-nation, 18-round series spanning two years, are just around the corner, kicking off in October.
    Uruguay, twice world champions in the first half of the last century, has struggled over the years to qualify for the finals but Tabarez, in charge for five years, has built a team that has put Uruguay back among the leading football nations.
    The 64-year-old said winning the trophy for a record 15th time was a boost to the team's confidence but they would keep their feet on the ground and not believe it would improve their World Cup chances.
    Luis Suarez, voted player of the tournament, put Uruguay ahead in the 12th minute of the final at the Monumental when his low, left-footed shot from the right beat the diving Justo Villar and went in off the far post.
    "I think this group made a huge effort to obtain what was obtained and if you're not a group inside and outside the field, I think it's difficult to reach the objective and I think that we deserved it for all the effort we were making," Suarez told reporters.
    Suarez scored four goals in the tournament, one less than top scorer Paolo Guerrero whose hat-trick helped Peru beat Venezuela 4-1 for third place in La Plata on Saturday.
    Twice champions Paraguay finished the tournament without a victory having reached the final with five draws and two penalty shootout wins.
    Coach Gerardo Martino said his players were physically exhausted and did not play their best.
    "I noticed today and during the past week I've noticed the entire team is enthusiastic but very physically deteriorated. And it's true that when Paraguay is physically deteriorated, it distances itself a bit from being Paraguay," he said.
    Uruguay now have one more title than hosts Argentina, whom they upset on penalties in the quarter-finals, to crown a fine 12 months after their fourth place at the World Cup.
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