In a world cup that has been marked by stories of the best teams going out early, Argentina and Brazil, and the giant-killers left playing it out for the final, Uruguay and Paraguay, Uruguay has something different to say about their win tonight: They’re the best soccer team in the world.
And truly, it could be said as such. With their win over Paraguay, they have won the biannual Copa America, one of the most celebrated sporting events on any continent, and showed that their success in 2010’s world cup, getting fourth place, was not a fluke.
“We played as a group,” said Luis Suarez, who scored one of Uruguay’s goals in the 12th minute and was selected as the best player of the tournament told the AP. “I think when groups are united like this, everyone together and going for the same thing, you can get things done.
Two of the goals for Uruguay were scored by Diego Forlan in the 42 minute and in the final minute. Paraguay was kept silent throughout the game. And Uruguay was heavily favored as the two teams got closer to facing off.
One fan Paraguayan fan, Porecilio Gonzalez. said that his team wasn’t better than the teams that lost, such as Argentina or Brazil, he credited Paraguay with being there only “by luck.”
And he said, “I’m going to be happy if we win or don’t.”
“The important thing was getting started well,” said Suarez in the same article. “With two goals in the first half, I think it was very difficult for them to come back.”
The celebrations carry on in Buenos Aires, and will for much of the night, as Uruguay shows it is one of the primer teams in South America. The world cup qualifying matches are coming up soon, and a few surprises remain for Peru and Venezuela, two teams that traditionally have been in the bottom of the pack, but in the tournament got 3rd and 4th place, respectively.