Uruguay seeks creativity with De La Cruz to make up for Arrascaeta’s absence in the World Cup and face Cape Verde
Midfielder Nicolás De La Cruz, one of Flamengo’s representatives in the current edition of the World Cup, awaits the definition of his starting role in the Uruguayan national team. His positive performance from the bench in the draw with Saudi Arabia boosts the possibility of starting the next match in a more advanced position, seeking to strengthen the team’s offensive capacity.
Celeste’s coach, Marcelo Bielsa, praised the athlete in a press conference held this Saturday (20). According to the coach, “De la Cruz is a creative player who can create attacking plays without dribbling, has an excellent long-distance shot and a lot of personality, just like Manuel (Ugarte).”
The Uruguayan technical committee, behind the scenes, remains uncertain for the clash against Cape Verde. The main question for Marcelo Bielsa lies in the choice between Manuel Ugarte and Nicolás De La Cruz to form the midfield alongside Fede Valverde.
Uruguay strategy aims for crucial victory against Cape Verde
Although there has not yet been an official confirmation, signs suggest that Bielsa should opt for De La Cruz in the starting eleven. The decision is strategic, as Uruguay desperately needs a victory to advance, having just one point and facing the theoretically most vulnerable team in Group G.
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However, Cape Verde has already demonstrated its defensive capacity by staging the biggest surprise of the tournament so far, drawing with Spain. Given the absence of Arrascaeta and the need for a more offensive approach, the expectation is that De La Cruz will be essential in resolving the lack of scoring opportunities observed in the previous clash against Saudi Arabia, offering the creativity that was lacking.
With the likely lineup of De La Cruz, Varela and Matías Viña, the Uruguayan team will play this Sunday (21), at 7pm (local time), against Cape Verde. The clash will take place at the Hard Rock Stadium, in Miami, in the United States. A triumph will bring the Celeste team closer to qualifying in a group that also includes Spain and Saudi Arabia.
Situation of other Flamengo athletes in the competition
While the Uruguayan team is looking for its first triumph, the situation is more delicate for Gonzalo Plata’s Ecuador. The South American team drew with Curaçao and now finds itself forced to beat Germany to avoid an early elimination from the tournament.
Performance of Vini Jr. and Lucas Paquetá in the Brazilian team
- Players who played for Flamengo, such as Vini Jr. and Lucas Paquetá, demonstrated good integration with the Brazilian team during the last few games.
- The Brazilian team, in turn, had the participation of Flamengo athletes in their 3-0 victory against Haiti. Among the four players called up, Danilo and Paquetá started the match as starters, with the midfielder even contributing an assist to Vini Jr’s goal.
