UK South American Dispatch: Uruguay Book The Last Seat At The Table

Goal.com’s Tim Sturtridge reports from South America as Uruguay head to South Africa while Angel Cappa and Jose Maria Aguilar line up December exits...

Nov 19, 2009 9:00:00 AM

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Diego Lugano - Uruguay
After threatening to walk late last week, Huracan boss Angel Cappa has now said he will leave his post at the end of the current campaign in December.
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Cappa had his resignation refused by club president Carlos Babington last Friday and took charge of Huracan’s game this Monday with Gimnasia La Plata. The game saw Huracan go down to their eighth defeat of the season and Cappa looked a distraught figure on the touchline as Gimnasia ran out 4-1 winners.

This Saturday Huracan play their 'clasico' match against San Lorenzo but with matters on and off the pitch at such a low, fans of El Globo are not expecting much from the game.

It is such a turn around from last season when Cappa’s Huracan wowed the crowds with their tiki-tiki brand of football and pushed the eventual league winners Velez to the final day.

Cappa said that losing so many key players in pre-season has made it impossible for his side to compete this season.

“The success was ended when the team was so brutally broken up. I continued to stay committed to the players I had but I paid dearly for that.” he stated.

“The relationship within the team has worn off with losing so many players, the confidence drops and so do the results.”

The coach also admitted he was worried about spoiling his reputation at the club by sticking around when things were going so badly.

“With things going like this there is a risk of losing the romance I feel for the club and that is not what I want,” the football purist revealed.

“I want to leave with the fans having a good memory of me and that is why my time here ends in December.”

La Celeste gear up for South Africa

Uruguay booked the 32nd and final spot at the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa late on Wednesday night. Head coach Oscar Tabarez joined his players on the pitch at the final whistle, as the two time World Cup winners completed their qualification for next year’s tournament.

It was expected to be a straightforward task for Uruguay to triumph over Costa Rica, after La Celeste picked up a 1-0 win in San Jose last Saturday. Instead, the 70,000 capacity crowd in the Centenario Stadium had a nervous last 20 minutes when Costa Rica simply refused to lie down in the tie.

An even first half saw chances at both ends and it was not until the 70th minute that Sebastián Abreu was able to break the deadlock and extend Uruguay’s advantage in the tie. The journeyman striker maybe coming to the end of his career but he will have scored fewer goals more precious than this one for either club or country.

After Uruguay took a 2-0 advantage in the tie, they may have been guilty of taking their foot off the gas a little and were duly punished for easing up just four minutes after Abreu got their goal.

Walter Centeno made no mistake as he latched on to a loose ball on the edge of Uruguay’s box and slotted home to draw Costa Rica level on the night. With the goal Los Tico’s skipper kept his dream alive of appearing in three consecutive World Cup finals.

Although Centeno and his team-mates did their best to find another goal to take the game to extra time, it was not to be. Costa Rica’s World Cup journey ends here, while Uruguay will be looking at hotels in South Africa first thing this morning.

Aguilar sorry to have River fans offside

Outgoing River Plate president Jose Maria Aguilar has admitted that he may not be the most popular person with El Millo’s faithful right now. Breaking a seven month silence, the soon to be ex-president of River told reporters, “I know the average fan of River is very unhappy with me.”

Speaking at the launch of an educational initiative that the Buenos Aires club is getting behind, Aguilar was keen to shed more light on his present relationship with supporters.

“The fan is angry and I understand why. I know what my image is with the supporters right now and the reasons why are obvious.” Aguilar continued.

“I hope I can reconcile with the fans in time and get back the relationship I once had in happier times at River.”

The current president also saw fit to give an update on the transfer speculation surrounding Diego Buonanotte.

“The player requested that the club listen to offers but until such time as an acceptable bid is made, he remains a River player.”

Aguilar also spoke about his anger at the state of River on the pitch at the end of his eight year presidency.

“The team’s thirteenth and, for River, that is simply unacceptable,” Aguilar said before dropping a few quick reminders of his better work while in office.

“We now have a deficit of $12 million less than when I took the job. Employees contracts are all up-to-date, new parking spaces, a museum and a college have all been put in place.”

The elections for the River Plate presidency take place on December 5.

Tim Sturtridge, Goal.com
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