00:06For such a tiny, remote country, Uruguay casts a giant shadow on football history.
00:16Before the establishment of the World Cup, La Celeste had already won six of the first 12 editions of the
00:23Copa America.
00:28They won Olympic gold medals in 1924 and 28, going undefeated on both occasions.
00:36These were the only two times in football history the Olympics were recognised as the World Championship of Football.
00:47So when FIFA was looking for a venue for a new international tournament in 1930, Uruguay was a natural choice.
00:55And the favourites lived up to top billing on home soil, winning all four matches to be crowned inaugural FIFA
01:02World Cup winners.
01:07A second World Cup arrived in 1950. Since when, Uruguay have slipped down the pecking order of international football,
01:15but continue to punch well above their weight, considering the country's population is only just over three million.
01:25There have been peaks along the way, including recently under the management of Oscar Tabarez,
01:31whose 15-year stints from 2006 to 2021 saw him become the coach with the most matches in charge of
01:38a single national team in football history.
01:46Former primary school teacher, Tabarez was known as El Maestro.
01:51When he was installed as head coach, he brought with him what became known as El Proceso.
01:59This was a root and branch methodology for all national teams, from youth level upwards,
02:06cementing a 4-3-3 formation and setting aside time for players in which they can study.
02:16Diego Forlan, Luis Suarez, Edinson Cavani and Diego Godin all became household names thanks to El Proceso,
02:25with no shortage of stars following in their footsteps like Darwin Nunez, Manuel Ugat and Federica Valverde.
02:38Underpinning Uruguay's overachievement is a shared national character known as Garacharua,
02:46which celebrates Uruguayans as perennial underdogs.
02:54Garacharua translates to Claw of the Charua, the indigenous people who inhabited the land before European colonization.
03:07It celebrates tenacity and courage in the face of adversity, being resourceful and daring, and never giving up.
03:16And with football dominating Uruguayan culture, Garacharua is typified by the football team.
03:23The man responsible for continuing this spirit is the legendary Marcello Bielsa.
03:29Although the 70-year-old was born in neighboring Argentina, he is a perfect fit for La Celeste.
03:36His teams play a relentless, high-tempo brand of football, with a manic devotion to hard work.
03:45Following defeat to Ecuador in his second competitive match in charge, Bielsa left his players in no doubt what they
03:51needed to improve upon.
03:58The conclusion I draw is that Uruguay is a team that needs to play with a very high amount of
04:03energy.
04:12We will have success collectively by playing at a fast pace and with constant energy. It makes a difference.
04:25Not long after that defeat, Uruguay rebounded by defeating Brazil at home and Argentina away.
04:32To ensure qualification from the Conmebol Confederation would be largely stress-free.
04:45Bielsa's trademark high-intensity 4-3-3 not only suits the character of Uruguayan football,
04:51it complements the players at his disposal.
04:57This is especially the case in midfield, where Rodrigo Bentancur and Federico Valverde combine to form a mobile engine room.
05:11Goal scoring is potentially a concern.
05:15Uruguay found the back of the net just 22 times in 18 matches during qualifying,
05:20with only Darwin Nunez scoring more than three goals.
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