Uruguay Roll in World Cup Playoffs
Nine toes in. That's Uruguay World Cup qualification status right now.
After overwhelming an inferior Jordan side in Amman 5-0, Uruguay now just wait to host Jordan in Montevideo next Wednesday in this all but dusted World Cup playoff.
This was the 6th ranked team in the world versus the 70th. But for the first ten minutes, they looked like equals. For the other 80, it looked about right.
Benfica defender Maxi Pereira started the ball rolling in the 22nd minutes. Cristian Stuani, who started over Diego Forlan in his 5th international cap, bagged the second in he 44th.
Botafago's Nicolas Lodeiro and Atletico Madrid's Cristian Rodriguez piled it on in the second half. Then, PSG superhuman Edinson Cavani topped it off with a free kick in injury time.
"I expected that the team would face difficulties, and win, but not with that number of goals," Uruguay's never-meek coach Oscar Tabarez said after the match. Before he match, he guaranteed victory.
After hinting of resting his stars in the second leg, Tabarez dissmissed the notion. "We have become closer to the World Cup, and all the stars of the team will play next Wednesday's match, he said.
Meanwhile, poor Jordan. Might not have been the most prophetic of rallying cries before the match when Hossam Hassan said his team carried the hopes of the entire Arab world.
Startling fact: Uruguay's qualification means they will be seeded in the World Cup draw and the Netherlands, who went 9-1-0 in qualifying, get the boot. FIFA, you're drunk.