How Uruguay Will Line Up Against Jordan

With the World Cup qualifying tie against Jordan all but over as a contest after the Celeste's 5-0 win in Amman, the biggest question surrounding Uruguay's team selection for the return leg is whether there is room for experimentation.

A five-goal buffer coming into a home game is surely enough to warrant some tinkering from coach Oscar Tabarez, if he feels the need to try out some variations.

Indications coming out of the camp, however, is that the experienced manager will stick to the same 11 who got the job done in Jordan from the start. 

Despite the huge lead the Celestes enjoy, a World Cup berth is too great a prize to play around with, even if the risk is minimal.

While teams often approach home and away fixtures differently, taking a more conservative approach away from home and attempting to win the game in their own backyard, Tabarez's men went on the front foot in Amman, a strategy which reaped rewards.

With Jordan playing a defensive 4-4-1-1, Uruguay employed a 4-2-2-2, with Christian Stuani and Cristian Rodriguez supporting front men Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez from wide positions. 

Surprisingly, Tabarez was not entirely happy with the performance, telling Ovacion Digital (Spanish):

"

We were very forthright. We didn't play well, but in football there are different ways to win.

In all of Asian qualifying, Jordan didn't lose one game at home. We wanted to restrict them. We didn't do it very well, but they don't have the same forcefulness as us thanks to our individual characteristics.

"

The same article points out that even though he can see room for improvement, Tabarez has thus far been using the same 11 players in his training sessions in preparation for the match in Montevideo, another sign that the side will remain unchanged.

The one possible alteration could be to bring in Celeste legend Diego Forlan, who came on with nine minutes remaining in Jordan, from the start.

The inclusion of the veteran playmaker could help the team hang on to possession to an even greater extent than it did last week, but it is a change that hardly seems necessary.

If Uruguay further extend their lead in the tie by scoring a couple of goals early, which is very much a possibility, Tabarez might decide to try out a few variations but expect the coach to stick to a winning formula from the start of the game.

Predicted Uruguay starting 11: Silva, Lugano, Pereira, Caceres, Godin, C. Rodriguez, Arevalo Rios, Lodeiro, Suarez, Cavani, Stuani