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July 24, 2011 8:00 PM BST
Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti — Capital Federal, Ciudad de Buenos Aires
Referee: Salvio Spinola Fagundes Filho
Uruguay - Paraguay Preview: World Cup semi-finalists square off against side who have yet to win a game yet in Copa America final
Oscar Tabarez's men are bidding to win the Copa America for a record 15th time when they take on the winless Guarani in the showpiece final at El Monumental on Sunday
By Mohammed Ali
| PROBABLE LINE-UPS |
| Uruguay: Muslera; M. Pereira, Lugano, Victorino, Caceres, A. Pereira; Gonzalez, Perez, Rios; Forlan, Suarez. |
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La Celeste are set to welcome back Diego Perez into the line-up for the final in Buenos Aires on Sunday evening. The Bologna midfielder, who scored against Argentina in the quarter-final, missed the win over Peru due to suspension. Oscar Tabarez will also call upon Mauricio Victorino from injury after he sat out the semi-final. Controversy has surrounded the potential recall of Edinson Cavani for the showpiece, with the Napoli hitman struggling to recover from a knee injury suffered in the group stage. This has not gone down well with his club president Aurelio De Laurentiis who stated that he is prepared to take serious action if Uruguay play the unfit striker.
| Paraguay: Villar; Da Silva, Veron, Torres, Vera; Barreto, Caceres, Riveros, Estigarribia; Barrios, Valdez |
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Paraguay have been hit with disciplinary issues ahead of the showdown with Uruguay. Coach Gerardo Martino and assistant Jorge Pautasso have both been given touchline bans and will watch from the stands in Buenos Aires. No player has been individually punished following the mass brawl that ensued after the penalty shootout win over Venezuela in the semi-final. However, Jonathan Santana will miss the final after his red card during the game. Another worry for the Guarani surrounds Roque Santa Cruz who came on, and then went off within minutes, clutching his right hamstring. Otherwise, Paraguay will revert to their strongest possible line-up having introduced four changes in their last game.
| DID YOU KNOW? |
- Uruguay, 14-time winners of the Copa America/South American Championship along with Argentina, are seeking to win the tournament for a record 15th time on Sunday.
- The 2011 final is La Celeste's 21st final appearance, the last time they negotiated their way to this stage was in 1999 when they succumbed to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Brazil.
- Oscar Tabarez's men secured their passage to Monumental by overcoming surprise packages Peru 2-0 in their semi-final. They had dumped out hosts Argentina on penalties following a 1-1 draw in the quarter-final.
- Luis Suarez is currently the tournament's joint-top scorer with three goals, along with Argentina's Sergio Aguero. The Liverpool striker could become the first Uruguayan, joint or outright, to become top scorer of the Copa since Carlos Aguilera was named joint-top scorer of the 1983 edition.

- Uruguay, now the overwhelming favourites, prevailed the last time the two nations met. Diego Forlan and Diego Lugano's goals secured a 2-0 win back in 2009 in a World Cup qualifier.
- Paraguay are yet to win a game in the 2011 Copa America after recording five successive draws, two of which have been settled on penalties.
- Nevertheless, the Guarani have secured a passage to the final, something they haven't achieved for 32 years.
- Gerardo Martino's men have astonishingly only led for a grand total of 52 minutes in the tournament, out of the 510 minutes of football they have endured.
- 'La Albirroja' are bidding for their third Copa America, having won the 1953 and 1979 editions.
- Despite their pragmatic defensive approach to the game, this has been Paraguay's best performance at the Copa America since their previous win, bettering their fourth place finish in 1989.
- Captain Justo Villar and defender Paulo Da Silva will win their 95th cap for their nation in the final.
Reader's Predictions
Top 3 Predictions
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Uruguay 0-3 Paraguay
- 13.03 %
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Uruguay 0-2 Paraguay
- 9.13 %
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Uruguay 2-0 Paraguay
- 8.44 %
| World Cup Qualification - South America (WCQS) | 11 Oct 2011 | Paraguay 1 - Uruguay 1 | |
| Copa America (CA) | 24 Jul 2011 | Uruguay 3 - Paraguay 0 | |
| World Cup Qualification - South America (WCQS) | 28 Mar 2009 | Uruguay 2 - Paraguay 0 | |
| World Cup Qualification - South America (WCQS) | 17 Oct 2007 | Paraguay 1 - Uruguay 0 |
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| 25 May 2012 | Russia 1 - Uruguay 1 | FR |
| 29 Feb 2012 | Romania 1 - Uruguay 1 | FR |
| 15 Nov 2011 | Italy 0 - Uruguay 1 | FR |
| 11 Nov 2011 | Uruguay 4 - Chile 0 | WCQS |
| 11 Oct 2011 | Paraguay 1 - Uruguay 1 | WCQS |
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| 26 Apr 2012 | Guatemala 0 - Paraguay 1 | FR |
| 29 Feb 2012 | Paraguay 1 - Panama 0 | FR |
| 22 Feb 2012 | Paraguay 2 - Guatemala 1 | FR |
| 15 Nov 2011 | Chile 2 - Paraguay 0 | WCQS |
| 12 Nov 2011 | Paraguay 2 - Ecuador 1 | WCQS |
- Russia 1-1 Uruguay: Kerzhakov and Suarez on target as Advocaat's side enjoy entertaining draw
- Russia - Uruguay Betting Preview: Backing the South Americans holds considerable value
- Cavani: If Napoli do not release me for the Olympics I will go anyway
- Uruguay coach Tabarez excited to play at Wembley and Old Trafford
| 1 | Néstor Muslera Micol | Goalkeeper |
| 22 | Martín Cáceres | Defender |
| 2 | Diego Lugano | Defender |
| 4 | Sebastián Coates | Defender |
| 16 | Maximiliano Pereira | Defender |
| 11 | Alvaro Pereira | Midfielder |
| 17 | Egidio Arévalo | Midfielder |
| 15 | Diego Pérez | Midfielder |
| 20 | Alvaro González | Midfielder |
| 10 | Diego Forlan Corazo | Striker |
| 9 | Luis Suárez | Striker |
| 23 | Martín Silva | Goalkeeper |
| 12 | J. Castillo | Goalkeeper |
| 3 | Diego Godín Leal | Defender |
| 19 | A. Scotti | Defender |
| 14 | Nicolás Lodeiro | Midfielder |
| 8 | Sebastián Eguren | Midfielder |
| 5 | W. Gargano | Midfielder |
| 7 | Cristian Rodríguez | Midfielder |
| 21 | Edinson Cavani | Striker |
| - | Abel Mathías Hernández | |
| 13 | Sebastián Abreu | Striker |
| - | J. Villar | Goalkeeper |
| - | V. Cáceres | Midfielder |
| - | Darabantex | |
| - | Darío Anastacio Verón | |
| - | Iván Rodrigo Piris | |
| - | Néstor Ezequiel Ortigoza | |
| - | Elvis Israel Marecos | Defender |
| - | Enrique Daniel Vera | |
| - | C. Riveros | Midfielder |
| - | Pablo Daniel Zeballos | |
| - | Haedo Valdéz | Striker |
| - | Roberto Junior Fernández | |
| - | Diego Daniel Barreto | Goalkeeper |
| - | Marcos Antonio Cáceres | |
| - | Hernán Arsenio Pérez | |
| - | Marcelo Alejandro Estigarribia | |
| - | Edgar Osvaldo Barreto | |
| - | O. Martínez | Midfielder |
| - | L. Barrios | Striker |
| - | Antolín Alcaraz |
| Luis Suárez | |
| Position: | Striker |
| Squad Number: | 9 |
| Games | Goals | YC | RC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| J. Villar | |
| Position: | Goalkeeper |
| Squad Number: | 0 |
| Games | Goals | YC | RC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Player | Goals | Penalties | |
|---|---|---|---|
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José Paolo Guerrero
Striker Peru |
5 | 0 |
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Luis Suárez
Striker Uruguay |
4 | 0 |
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Kun Agüero
Striker Argentina |
3 | 0 |
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Radamel Falcao
Striker Colombia |
2 | 1 |
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Diego Forlan Corazo
Striker Uruguay |
2 | 0 |
