Why Spain vs. Uruguay Will Be the Quarterfinal Match to Watch at U20 World Cup

Having featured several thrilling matches and dramatic results, the FIFA U/20 World Cup will heat up even further this week as the tournament reaches the quarterfinal stage.

Only eight teams remain in the hunt for one of international football's most prestigious trophies, and with several of the big players already eliminated (such as Portugal, Greece, Colombia), the champion this year could seemingly come from a very unlikely source indeed.

The quarterfinals will therefore be a must-watch part of the tournament this year, and out of those, the one quarterfinal match that you cannot afford to miss is Spain against Uruguay. Both nations have strong international histories (particularly when it comes to the World Cup) and will certainly fancy their chances at moving through to the semifinals after a strong campaign so far.

Why—out of all the quarterfinals—is the one match worth watching?

Read on and find out.

Date	Start Time	Venue
Saturday, July 6, 2013	2:00 p.m. ET	Ataturk Stadium, Bursa, Turkey

Are Spain Set to Decline in International Football?

Spain have long been the dominant power of international football, with their tiki-taka style leading them to great success at both the full-fledged and junior levels.

However, with Brazil's recent 3-0 demolition of Spain at the 2013 Confederations Cup—a scoreline that flattered the European champions in many ways—the question must be asked as to whether they are in a rut of sorts. And, if they are about to experience some sort of decline or step back, will it shine through again at the under-20 level, where they have historically been so strong?

Having watched Spain in the group stages so far, you'd have to think that it shouldn't be a problem. They dominated their opponents in all three matches, and even if that didn't lead to an abundance of goals at the other end, they were still very clinical going forward.

Their match against Mexico in the round of 16 was somewhat different, though, with La Roja taking until the 90th minute to net the game-winning goal through Jese.

Is that a sign of things to come for Spain, or was it simply a slip up? And if it was a slip up, will it shine through again for the Europeans in their quarterfinal as well?

You'd think not, but it's definitely worth watching out for.

Or Will Their Abundance of Talent Shine Through Again?

What seems more likely for Spain is that their abundance of attacking talent will shine through—just like it has done throughout the majority of the tournament thus far.

La Roja are equipped with a number of young talents who will most likely be world-class stars in the future, and for that alone, it's definitely worth keeping an eye on them.

Barcelona striker Gerard Deulofeu and Real Madrid front man Jese Rodriguez are two of the best up-and-coming strikers in World Football. They both possess an incredible ability to beat a man one-on-one and are also excellent finishers. However, both have struggled to get regular minutes at their current clubs due to the depth of talent in both Spanish heavyweights, so tournaments like these are a great chance to show exactly what they can do.

And what a show they have put on so far!

The same also goes for Atletico Madrid midfielder Oliver Torres, who has been one of the tournament's best players so far. Despite being just 18 years old, Torres possesses a great natural ability on the ball and is quickly becoming an intrinsic part of Spain's central midfield.

Torres has the passing ability and vision akin to that of Xavi Hernandez, but is perhaps a better dribbler than the Barcelona man. The Spaniard has a brilliant ability to switch play and connect via long balls, and is a great tackler in midfield—winning the ball back time and time again.

He doesn't have the finishing part of his game just yet, but with the talent he has ahead of him in this Spanish team, that hasn't been too much of a problem so far.

For the chance to watch Torres—and the rest of Spain's dominant midfield—it's definitely worth keeping an eye on their quarterfinal showdown with Uruguay.

Stars to Watch for at the 2014 World Cup

As has been hinted at above, the players who will line up for both teams in this game might not be fully-fledged superstars like Juan Mata or Luis Suarez, but they are still definitely worth keeping an eye on. Most will break out at some point in the near future, and with the 2014 World Cup approaching, all will be looking to try and break into the squad that makes their way to Brazil next year.

What a great chance this is, then, to see these youngsters before they break out!

The trio of Spanish stars mentioned above all have a great chance to make the final squad that Vicente del Bosque puts together. Liverpool midfielder Suso (19 years old) and Atletico Madrid right-back Javier Manquillo (19 years old) are also worth keeping an eye on for the Europeans.

For Uruguay, it's unlikely that any of their strikers will make the final squad to Brazil, with the South Americans already able to choose from the likes of Diego Forlan, Edinson Cavani, Luis Suarez, Gaston Ramirez, Abel Hernandez and Alvaro Gonzalez.

However, many of their defenders and midfielders could get a ticket, with Uruguay's struggles in qualifying thus far leading to some fresh young talent arriving.

Recently signed Manchester United defender Guillermo Varela is definitely one to watch for, as is Atletico Madrid's Jose Gimenez. Throw in midfielders Diego Laxalt and Giorgian de Arrascaeta, and Uruguay certainly have some up-and-coming talent worth watching out for this weekend—especially if they continue to impress and potentially earn themselves a call-up for the 2014 World Cup.

And as far as a prediction goes? I say Spain wins 2-1.

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