Uruguay Olympic Men's Soccer Team 2012: Updated News, Roster and Analysis

Uruguay announced their 18-man roster for the 2012 London Olympics. While it may be lacking on the defensive end of the roster, they have plenty of offensive weapons that could have them looking at playing for a medal.

Their toughest opponent in pool play is Great Britain who will have a boost from the home crowd.

While the team might be too inexperienced to medal in London, there is a lot of talent that should be ready to help them make a run in the 2014 World Cup.

We discuss those items and more in the slides ahead.

Final Roster

Uruguay will send an inexperienced team to the London Games. They have a bevy of exciting playmakers and goal scorers, but defense could be an issue.

The lack of international experience most certainly will hurt the team.

Uruguay’s overage players (each Olympic team is allowed three players over the age of 23) reflect the importance they are placing on offense.

Pos.	Player	Age	Caps	Goals	Club
GK	Leandro Gelpi	21	0	0	Peñarol
GK	Martín Campaña	23	3	0	Cerro Largo
DF	Ramón Arias	19	3	0	Defensor Sporting
DF	Diego Polenta	20	1	0	Bari
DF	Alexis Rolín	23	3	0	Nacional
DF	Emiliano Albín	23	3	0	Peñarol
DF	Matías Aguirregaray	23	2	0	Palermo
DF	Sebastián Coates	21	2	0	Liverpool
MF	Jonathan Urretaviscaya	22	2	0	Vitória Guimarães
MF	Maximiliano Calzada	22	3	0	Nacional
MF	Diego Rodríguez	22	3	0	Defensor
MF	Nicolás Lodeiro	23	2	0	Ajax
MF	Egidio Arévalo Ríos	29	2	0	Palermo
MF	Gastón Ramírez	21	2	1	Bologna
MF	Tabaré Viudez	22	3	0	Nacional
FW	Abel Hernández	21	2	1	Palermo
FW	Luis Suárez (captain)	25	2	3	Liverpool
FW	Edinson Cavani	25	2	3	Napoli

Key Players

Luis Suárez 

Suárez is a world-class attacker and is the key to Uruguay’s offensive production. He has three goals for the Olympic team and has been impressive in Premier League play for Liverpool.

Suárez is still attempting to rebound from the issues he had while playing for Ajax in Amsterdam. He was suspended for fighting and his hobby of collecting yellow cards. He went so far as biting an opponent on the shoulder, earning him the nickname “Cannibal of Ajax.”

He appeared to be headed in the right direction and helped Liverpool rally in 2011. He then helped Liverpool win the 2012 Carling Cup, but his mouth got him in trouble yet again. He was suspended for eight games for racially abusing Patrice Evra from Senegal.

Suárez needs to let his feet do the talking in the Olympics.

Edinson Cavani 

Cavani was given a spot on Uruguay’s Olympic team because he has a knack for scoring goals. The team will need his output, as their defense is not their strong point.

Cavani was an up-and-coming member of Uruguay's 2010 World Cup squad and has blossomed into a world-famous international star that has been valued at €100 million…at least by his own club.

"Cavani is not for sale, but we could let him go for €100m," Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis told Sky Sport Italia via an espn.com article. "This is not his actual value, but his value to me and he won't leave for less."

Gaston Ramirez 

Ramirez may not be on Suárez’s level as an international star, but he certainly isn’t far behind. He has been a popular playmaker for Bologna and is expected to make a solid impact for Uruguay in the Olympics.

Adrian Luna

Look for Luna to continue his excellent play. He's made a name for himself playing for Uruguay in the Sudamericana Sub-20 and U-20 World Cup.

Main Challengers

Brazil

Widely considered the favorite to win the tournament, Brazil hopes to win their first gold medal in the Olympic Games. They have had two silver and two bronze since the Olympics were opened up to professionals in 1984.

Brazil's soccer federation has amassed an amazing roster and appears ready to assert their dominance in the Olympics. They cruised through the qualifying tournament, posting a 7-1-1 record. 

One of those wins was a lopsided victory over Uruguay to determine the top-seed in the Olympics. Uruguay would welcome a rematch against Brazil, as it would mean their side will be playing for a medal.

Great Britain

While Great Britain hasn't placed a soccer team in the Olympics since 1971, they should be ready to compete on their home turf. They are led by the talented Welsh captain Ryan Giggs, a midfielder who plays for Manchester United.

The team is loaded with Premier League talent, which will be enough to advance from Uruguay’s pool. The second-seed has a difficult game in the knockout round against Mexico, though.

Expect a battle when these two teams finish pool play, likely to earn the top-seed from Pool A.

One factor that will favor Uruguay is while the British roster is full of experience, they have not played well together. 

Team G.B. were given a berth in the Olympics without qualifying and simply haven't developed the cohesion other sides have. Even the two games before they face Uruguay will help them prepare to advance in the tournament.

Mexico 

Mexico grabbed the other top seed in the tournament and is a favorite to make one of the medal games. They were basically unstoppable in CONCACAF qualifying, going 3-0 in group play. They won their two knockout games to earn the top seed.

Their future looks solid, but the youngsters that took third in last year's U-20 World Cup may not be ready to win an Olympic medal. 

The second-seed in Uruguay’s pool will likely face off against Mexico in the knockout round. While this is a game Uruguay can win, they would obviously prefer a shot at Pool B’s second-seed.

Spain

The side from Spain are one of the top threats in the tournament. They won the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship last year, demonstrating the talent they have from their younger players.

However, the draw makes it unlikely that Uruguay will face Spain in the Olympics.

Prediction

Uruguay struggled in Pool play at the 2011 South American Youth Championships. They posted losses to Argentina and Peru, but advanced from pool play with a 4-0 win over Chile (2-0-2) and a 1-1 tie with Venezuela (0-3-1).

They rebounded in the final stage, though, posting 1-0 wins over Columbia, Chile and Argentina. They also played to a 1-1 tie against Ecuador.

Their final match was against Brazil and would settle the tournament champion and who would be the second seed in the Olympics. Brazil commanded the game, posting a 6-0 victory.

There is an obvious gap between Uruguay and the gold medal contenders in London. However, they will advance from Pool A and will likely face Mexico in the knockout round with a second-place finish in pool play.

Great Britain is the favorite in their pool that also contains Senegal and the United Arab Emirates. But odds makers are giving a slight edge to Uruguay grabbing a medal over the host nation.

If Uruguay are able to pull off a point or better in their match with Team G.B. then an appearance in a medal match is a distinct possibility. A bronze medal is very attainable if they can advance as the top team from Pool A.