Uruguay names Suárez and Cavani for last World Cup campaign
Nov 10, 2022, 2:17 AM | Updated: 7:37 pm
FILE - Uruguay's Luis Suarez celebrates scoring his side's opening goal against Paraguay during a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 at General Pablo Rojas stadium in Asuncion, Paraguay, Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz, File)
(AP Photo/Jorge Saenz, File)
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — Strikers Luis Suárez, Edinson Cavani and three other veteran Uruguay players will be at the World Cup for the fourth consecutive time.
Led by the veterans and young talents like Federico Valverde, Uruguay’s squad for the tournament in Qatar was announced Thursday by coach Diego Alonso.
Alonso, who replaced coach Óscar Tabárez during the final rounds of South American qualifying, included Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo in his squad even though the player is still recovering from right thigh surgery.
Suárez and Cavani, both 35, are expected to play in their fourth and last World Cup. Three other veteran members of the squad were also named — goalkeeper Fernando Muslera and defenders Diego Godín and Martín Cáceres.
“With the same hopes of day one, and the dream of 3 million people,” Godín said on Twitter.
Uruguay is in Group H with Portugal, South Korea and Ghana. The team’s first match in Qatar will be against South Korea on Nov. 24.
The five veterans played under Tabárez and reached the World Cup semifinals in 2010, the round-of-16 in Brazil four years later and the quarterfinals in Russia in 2018.
Suárez is Uruguay’s top scorer with 68 goals in 134 matches, followed by Cavani, who netted 58 in 133 games.
Other players with World Cup experience include defenders José María Giménez and Sebastián Coates, who will be in the tournament for the third time.
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Uruguay:
Goalkeepers: Fernando Muslera (Galatasaray), Sergio Rochet (Nacional), Sebastián Sosa, (Independiente).
Defenders: Diego Godín (Velez Sarsfield), José María Giménez (Atletico Madrid), Sebastián Coates (Sporting Lisbon), Martín Cáceres (Los Ángeles Galaxy), Ronald Araujo (Barcelona), Matías Viña (Roma), Mathías Olivera (Napoli), Guillermo Varela (Flamengo), José Luis Rodríguez (Nacional).
Midfielders: Matías Vecino (Lazio), Rodrigo Bentancur (Tottenham), Federico Valverde (Real Madrid), Lucas Torreira (Galatasaray), Manuel Ugarte (Sporting Lisbon), Facundo Pellistri (Manchester United), Nicolás De la Cruz (River Plate), Giorgian de Arrascaeta (Flamengo), Agustín Canobbio (Athletico Paranaense) and Facundo Torres (Orlando City).
Forwards: Darwin Núñez (Liverpool), Luis Suárez (Nacional), Edinson Cavani (Valencia), Maximiliano Gómez (Trabzonspor).
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