FIFA U20 World Cup: Uruguay v Israel semi-final pre-match analysis

Posted : 08 June 2023

The under-20 young squad few hours away from winning the global championship, the Diego Maradona stadium in La Plata is totally packed out.

La Plata is buzzing with anticipation, especially around the Maradona stadium where the game will be played. The stadium, which has a 53,000-person capacity, is already full, and tickets with a $5 face value are being offered for $150 on the black market.

On the other side, their opponent for the evening, the Uruguayan squad, has sparked a similar enthusiasm among their nation. The 15,000 Uruguayans attending the game, however, just had to take a two-hour boat voyage, in contrast to Argentina and Brazil.

Uruguay has twice advanced to the tournament's finals, in 1997 and 2013, although they were unsuccessful on both occasions. They came in fourth place in 2017.

But Uruguay is renowned for treating the competition seriously and benefiting much from it. The significant investment Uruguay has made in its junior teams has contributed to the senior national team's success in the twenty-first century.

However, Uruguay must overcome certain obstacles before their match with Israel. Luciano Rodriguez from Liverpool Montevideo, who was their outstanding player, has been banned for two games, including the game against Israel.

Mateo Ponte, their right defender, is also hurt. With only 14 healthy players, Uruguay has even asked to have its third goalkeeper listed as an outfield player, leaving them with only three backups.

The Uruguay young team that narrowly missed winning the Copa America in February is quite similar to the squad that is playing now. Unfortunately, Brazil, the eventual winners, overcame them; Israel had eliminated Brazil.

The good news for Israel is that Uruguay, although being the South American squad that has progressed the furthest in the competition, may be a little weaker than they were during the Copa America. Real Madrid's choice to hold onto their striker Alvaro Rodriguez for the competition and the injury are the main causes of this.

Uruguay's offensive options are constrained since Alvaro Rodriguez is out and Luciano Rodriguez is on suspension. They still have a lot of potential, though, as evidenced by the fact that they were the first team to defeat and score against the Americans.

The Uruguayan national team is renowned for its organisation and discipline. Their captain and most valued player is the outstanding 20-year-old midfielder from Liverpool Montevideo, Fabricio Dias.

Israel has an issue since he hasn't performed at his peak in the Mondialeto. Dias was outstanding during the knockout stage games, controlling the action with his superb passing skills. Israel's major goal will be to stop Dias from taking over the game by neutralizing him.

Uruguay is a national squad that stresses structure and discipline, much like Israel. The players are well-aware of one another's playing strategies. Though not as much as Brazil was before to the quarterfinals, Uruguay is thought to be the favourite in the forthcoming encounter. As a result, Haim and his team stand a good chance of winning.

Winning a championship and experiencing the glory of being world champions in a nation like Argentina, where football has enormous cultural value and legends like Maradona and Messi are venerated, is considerably more prestigious than in a nation like Indonesia.

Israel's attempt to host was turned down for political reasons that involved Israel. Before the start of practise, Haim told his team that these moments could end up being the most memorable of their lives.

Although Uruguay has a strong history and a strong team, Israel is keen to avoid being overshadowed and wants to win.

FIFA U20 World Cup: Uruguay v Israel semi-final pre-match analysis

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