How Uruguay Will Line Up Against Jordan
World Cup qualifying play-offs have become a nerve-wracking tradition for Uruguay. The Celeste have finished outside automatic qualification in each of the last three tournaments, winning in the qualifying playoff twice, while missing out in 2006 against Australia via a penalty shootout.
If they want to make it to 2014, Oscar Tabarez's men will once again have to negotiate the World Cup's second-chance system, as they take on Jordan home and away.
As semi-finalists in 2010 and reigning Copa America champions, Uruguay start as hot favourites against the Middle East team. But as that defeat seven years ago against Oceania's champions proved, nothing can be taken for granted.
Having finished qualifying on a high after taking down Argentina in the final match, we should expect to see a similar side take the field on November 13.
Goalkeeper
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Galatasaray shot-stopper Fernando Muslera has for years been the undisputed No. 1 in the Uruguay net. Behind the keeper, however, there is little experience at international level. Unsurprising, given that Muslera has played 37 of the Celeste's last 38 official matches per La Republica.
The first choice will miss the play-off due to a broken finger per Reuters (h/t Yahoo! Sports), meaning the jersey is likely to be passed to either Penarol veteran Juan Castillo or Olimpia's Martin Silva.
Castillo's 13 caps give him the edge over the pair of appearances made by Silva, but at 30, the latter is more mobile and an excellent shot-stopper.
Defence
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Although Muslera will miss out, the rest of the defence is fully fit and ready for the challenge of playing in unfamiliar territory. But with 25 goals conceded during the qualifying phase, the back line has been a permanent headache for Oscar Tabarez.
The three fixtures of Diego Lugano, Diego Godin and Maxi Pereira retain their places from that gripping 3-2 victory over Argentina back in October. On the left, meanwhile, there could be a change.
Jorge Fucile struggled to contain Maxi Rodriguez throughout that clash, and the Porto full-back looks set to lose his place. Martin Caceres, according to Ovacion, will take his place.
Midfield
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One of the strengths in Uruguay's last official run-out was the verve and urgency shown in the middle of the pitch. Players formerly on the fringes of the team, such as Cristian Rodriguez and Christian Stuani, stepped in to show their quality, with the former opening the scoring against Argentina.
Abandoning Diego Forlan as a playmaker in favour of a wider 4-4-2 setup paid dividends against the Albiceleste, and Tabarez is likely to repeat that same formation.
Stuani, Egidio Arevalo Rios and "Cebolla" are likely to keep their places, while the final spot is a tough choice between the tough tackling of Diego Perez and Nicolas Lodeiro's more cerebral style.
Attack
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While his team-mates celebrated in the Estadio Centenario back in October, Diego Forlan stayed on the sidelines, as he failed to play even a minute of Uruguay's victory off the bench. The Internacional playmaker may suffer the same fate against Jordan, at least for the opening clash.
Ovacion states that Oscar Tabarez is likely to keep faith with the same 4-4-2 system that took down Argentina. This would leave no room for Forlan in the middle of the pitch, although he would be an excellent option as an impact substitution.
Goalscoring duties, then, fall to two of the best strikers in the world: Edinson Cavani and Uruguay's all-time top scorer, Luis Suarez, whom Forlan himself called "spectacular" in the build-up to Wednesday's clash, per El Universal.
Probable Uruguay Team vs. Jordan
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Silva
M. Pereira, Lugano, Godin, Caceres
Stuani, Perez, Arevalo, Rodriguez
Cavani, Suarez
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