Poyet predicts Uruguay success

Uruguay will cause several problems for their opponents at the upcoming FIFA World Cup, according to former midfielder Gus Poyet.

Poyet – who is now the manager of Premier League outfit Sunderland – surprisingly only won 26 caps for his country despite an excellent career at club level.

He never played for Uruguay at a World Cup but is confident the South American nation can repeat their feats from the 2010 event.

Uruguay, who only qualified for this year’s World Cup after beating Jordan in a two-legged play-off, finished fourth in South Africa before going on to win the 2011 Copa America, and Poyet believes the unity of the squad will come to the fore when spending an extended period of time together.

“I think Uruguay is a special team (when) we get together,” Poyet told Radio Yorkshire.

“I think before these kinds of competitions – World Cup, Copa America, Confederations Cup – the team gets together and the group really click together and we become very difficult to play against.

“Sometimes when it’s just international games and you get together one or two days, I don’t think the team performs the same way.

“So it’s going to be important how the players, they finish their seasons and they get together and spend those three or four weeks (together) before the World Cup.

“And of course, having the main players available, Luis Suarez, (Edinson) Cavani even Diego Forlan (who) is going to be there.

“To be in that possibility to go and create something is special…we will be a difficult team to play against.

“Having those players up front, you will always have a chance to do well.”

Poyet singled out Suarez as the nation’s main man with the forward set to enter the tournament on the back of an outstanding Premier League campaign.

Suarez has scored 29 goals in 27 league appearances for Liverpool this season and looks set to play a starring role at the World Cup.

“He’s a player that you don’t want to play against – he’s a player you want to play with,” the Sunderland boss added.

“He’s a player that if you want to buy one player now in England, most of the teams…you would probably want to buy him because you know that he is going to give you something extra that you cannot get now.

Uruguay will face Costa Rica, England and Italy in Group D in Brazil.