Pre-tournament, I had England and Uruguay as my rough World Cup chances at decent odds.
As it stands, both remain alive with the South Americans already into the quarter-finals after a thrilling win over Portugal.
England have their chance to reach the last eight tonight when they play the dangerous Colombia at the Partak Stadium.
England manager Gareth Southgate has fast developed a reputation as a unifying voice in the camp. With big egos and even bigger pay cheques playing such a dominant role in English football, massaging personalities and reputations has been a difficult managerial task for some time.
It appears Southgate has established a much needed sense of selflessness in the team and the squad stands at the brink of over-achievement; so moderate were some expectations of their chances leading into Russia.
Gareth Southgate (Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)
Young captain Harry Kane appears to be the embodiment of the message Southgate has attempted to convey. Focussing on a common cause with sacrificial purpose and drive is working well for England.
As talented, brilliant and consistent as Kane is – endlessly pulling balls from the back of the net so prodigious is his scoring – he also looks like a man who wears the English jersey with the pride and passion of days gone by.
No doubt, many of England’s recent World Cup failures stemmed from teams chock full of Premier League talent that were dysfunctional at the core. England suffered at the hands of the very competition that could potentially keep them as a constant threat at major international tournaments.
The Premier League has helped a lot of other countries far more than the English themselves.
After failing to qualify for the finals in the USA in 1994, the form guide since is one of disappointment for the Three Lions, with quarter-final appearances in 2002 and 2006 the country’s best result.
The nightmare of 2014 where the end point was the group stage, saw the English team at rock bottom and Southgate found his way to the job in September 2016 after Sam Allardyce said a little too much over lunch.
With a 57 per cent success rate over his first two years in the job and only three losses, he has made an impressive start.
The signs were there that the man from Watford might just be the future of English managerial leadership after achieving an 81.8 per cent winning record with the Under 21 squad.
Quarter-final or not, things are undoubtedly looking up.
A similar uptrend in performance is evident for Uruguay. Blessed with what I felt was a fairly manageable draw when pooled with Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Russia, their progression to the knockout phase looked likely.
Uruguay’s Luis Suarez (MIGUEL ROJO/AFP/Getty Images)
There were a few hairy moments along the way, a late winner and some controversy, but advance they did and with the scalp of the European Champions now on their belt, the French loom as the next challenge.
Uruguay’s World Cup history is something of a hit and miss affair. As the original World Cup hosts and Champions, as well as being two-time winners, the country’s role in World Cup history is forever etched. The fans ‘get’ the event and possess an intuitive understanding of its meaning and significance.
In modern times, a fourth place in South Africa is the shining achievement. Prior to that result, Uruguay had failed to qualify for five of the previous eight editions of the World Cup Finals.
Since 2010, they have been a staple in the event and now face a dangerous French team that finally showed some flair against Argentina; with the threat of Kylian Mbappe on show for all to see.
Prior to 2010, this would have been a lock for France but not this time around. Uruguay have the weapons to continue their run.
Australia’s relationship with Uruguay in a football sense stems way back to 1974 when two friendlies took place. However it was World Cup Qualification matches in 2001 and 2005 where things became far more interesting.
On that famous night in Sydney, there was little to separate the two teams. Uruguay took the honours in the first leg at home and Australia did the same four days later.
Mark Schwarzer produced the remarkable save in the subsequent shootout, John Aloisi held his nerve and the rest is history.
Blessed with a generation of quality, the leadership and experience in the Socceroos’ team was considerable. Uruguay were strong with Diego Forlan and Alvaro Recoba as their inspirations yet didn’t possess anything near the weapons they do today.
Subsequently, both nations have taken their place in the finals in South Africa, Brazil and now Russia and while there is some sense of parallelism in their journeys since the dramatic penalty shootout, their results have been vastly different.
As it stands, Uruguay are about to play for a spot in a World Cup semi-final and Australia has licked its wounds and headed off home for the third time in succession.
The essential difference is the fact that Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez are match-winners.
Uruguay’s Edison Cavani controls the ball. (Photo by XIN LI/Getty Images)
Cavani came into the national set-up in 2008 and has slotted 45 goals in 105 games for his country along with over 200 for Palermo, Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain collectively.
Suarez was capped a year earlier and has found the net 53 times in 102 internationals. Throw in 350 goals for Ajax, Liverpool and Barcelona and the numbers around the two-pronged attack become intimidating.
Both thirty-one, their arrival on the scene shaped the trajectory of Uruguay’s fortunes over the last decade.
In comparison, the Socceroos have battled away, overly reliant on an ageing Tim Cahill for goals, even when up against some relatively weak Asian Confederation opposition.
Cahill’s ability to capitalise on the blue-collar work upon which the Socceroos depend has slowly diminished and a replacement not been found.
Uruguay’s supporting cast keep things as tight as they can at the back before sending the ball forward; knowing full well that there are goals to be found when Cavani and Suarez find space.
When they combine, as they did for the first goal against Portugal on Sunday morning, it magnifies the chasm between international standard finishing and what the Socceroos have at their disposal in the front third.
We will always be somewhat connected to Uruguay after the events of 2005 and seeing where they are right now, reminds us of the value of men like Cavani and Suarez.
It also makes Australia’s search for its own versions of them even more important.
Paul
Guest
Comparing Australia to Uruguay ignores the fact that the number 1 sport in Uruguay is football and everything else is a very distant second. Football is played by kids in the streets from an early age. Compare that to Australia. Professionally, it is never No 1 being behind NRL in NSW and Qld as well as being behind AFL in the other states. Also behind Cricket (to date in the summer months). If you look at the US, with a much bigger population base, they struggle with the same issues. Much better comparison. And the US are now losing players to Mexico now like we had players going to Croatia. At least the playet draim has stopped, for the moment. Make it cheaper to play, as well as developing technical skill, for juniors at all levels and make the A-League inviting as a league, then we will see new players. However, the FFA only see youth development as a cost not an investment. When that changes, we might see growth in the player pool and the skills needed to play professionally at the highest level.
Fred
Guest
Best wishes to the Seventh Day Adventists
Redondo
Guest
Interesting comments from Ron Smith... https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/australia-is-producing-robots-says-youth-guru-smith
Simoc
Guest
Whats "decent odds" got to do with soccer Stu. Are you telling us you have a gambling problem, or you're stupid or smart? Maybe you could stick with the game. Only dummies bet.
Kangas
Roar Rookie
Read more about Uruguay, incredibly inclusive tolerant country . Lots more then soccer . Although they are mighty good at the world game .
MQ
Guest
I guess with Uruguay, the whole nation is focused on just one thing, nothing else comes close. No doubt that Cavani is just about the best footballer Uruguay has produced in the past 30 years. Although that 2005 team weren't mugs. Alvaro Recoba was a quality footballer, and they had some good strikers, but none were in the same ball park as Cavani.
MQ
Guest
That's right, he hobbled off, but do we know for sure that he will be out for the next match? That's a massive loss.
Cousin Claudio
Roar Guru
I'm glad Cavani and Suarez weren't playing for Uruguay in 2005 against Guus' heroes of the golden generation. Our football history would have to be completely rewritten. Uruguay and Japan, and others, put in place sweeping changes to make sure those major disappointments don't just keep re-occurring. What has the FFA and Australia done to stop us being eliminated early at every world cup?
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
Agree 100% with AGO -it's pathways that bring young players through into a football that you want to play (which for Uruguay is pragmatic, counter attacking and a mix of potential structures) In Australia we lump parents of half decent kids with exorbitant fees and close elite youth leagues for nearly a decade. We might find a striker or two if we actually tried to develop them
Kangas
Roar Rookie
I think Cavani is injured for the France game Don’t underestimate the true leader of Uruguay who is the centre back Godin . Uruguay were an original powerhouse of world football winning world cups and I believe Olympic tournaments as well as South America club champions I’ve heard an Argentinain journalist heap praise on the nation of Uruguay for their way of life and putting people first . Their small but intensely talented football population works as an advantage to them, as the contest to be the best is challenging right from an early age , similar to why New Zealand are so good at rugby . Also for Uruguay to compete regularly against Brazil and Argentina is blessing in disguise. How much better would Aussie players become if we had to qualify through South America.
The Phantom Commissioner
Roar Rookie
With Uruguay it just goes to show how important top strikers are because in the other areas of the pitch we arguably have as good if not better quality particularly in midfield.
AGO74
Guest
Stuart - I should add that Tabarez's contribution goes back prior to his re-appointment in 2006. He was part of instituting change after Mexico '86 (he was their national coach for a couple of years culminating in a 2nd round exit to the host nation at Italia '90). In Mexico '86, Uruguay were known for their brutality and not much else with one guy being issued the fastest red card in world cup history summing it up. It was post that tournament that Uruguay with Tabarez at the helm took a concerted approach to change in combining technique with toughness/will to win. So in essence that change in the late 80's in cultivating technique started to bear fruit later on with Recoba, Forlan and latterly Suarez/Cavani. However, post elimination by Australia a re-adjustment was required - and Tabarez alongside his players has delivered these results since elimination to us. What Uruguay have done is a shining example of how a) genuine change can be implemented but b) genuine change even if executed well takes about a generation to deliver. Its a really interesting case study.
Redondo
Guest
Similar story in Belgium: https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/jun/06/belgium-blueprint-gave-birth-golden-generation-world-cup-?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other It takes a long time.
Stuart Thomas
Expert
No doubt Uruguay were infuriated with the loss to the Socceroos and took something of a line in the sand approach yet Suarez and Cavani are both thirty-one and were on the cusp of representing under 20's at the time. Suarez 2006 and Cavani 2007. The development potentially reflects more on the players we have seen subsequently rather than them. The point is made with direct reference to the absence of up front quality in the Australian stocks. Uruguay had two match winners arrive at the same time, and along with some good management and player development, they have continued to improve. As hard as the Socceroos work as a team or maintain discipline and diligence, the lack of a key weapon up front will continue to be the Achilles heel. As you rightly point out. The task is to find them, develop them and without the will and support to undertake the process, change could still be a long way off.
Cool and Cold
Guest
Socceroos do not have to refer to the play of a South American national team, Uruguay. Just see how Japanese and Korean national teams have done recently. Why the author prefer England and Uruguay as his preference? Any connection? Have a mixed feeling, wanting England to win but also wanting a new champion, whether that champion be Belgium, Russia, Croatia, Sweden, Swiss or Colombia.
AGO74
Guest
England have done well so far but this is their real test. I don't doubt they have a better team spirit in this tournament than previous versions, however beating Tunisia in the last minute and towelling up Panama is one thing - but Colombia is a whole different proposition. Win that and you can say they are the real deal. The Uruguay comparison is interesting. I disagree with the statement "The essential difference is the fact that Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez are match-winners. ". For starters you also have Godin and Jimenez - the centre back pairing who also play for Atletico Madrid. Beyond just comparing players,I'm not sure what is appreciated here is that the loss to Australia was a line in the sand and resulted in a complete reconstruction of Uruguayan football via the appointment of Tabarez who has been in charge since the loss to Australia. Tabarez is the godfather of Uruguayan football. He instituted change at every level and put in place the systems that every national team must adhere to from 15's to seniors combining technical skills, tactics and training with the famous Uruguayan spirit. The results have seen overwhelming success winning a Copa America to go with their World Cup success. For Australia the lesson is in what Tabarez has done. The question is do we have somebody with the ability to do something similar as well as the governing body to support its execution? At the moment the answer is no.