Possessing one of the richest histories in all of soccer, with two World Cup titles, two Olympic gold medals, once dominant world power Uruguay has fallen far from past glory, causing Goal.com’s Gregory Sica to examine what went wrong and ask how the South Americans can climb back to the top.
While still “very well respected” within their continent, based in part on a record that its pro teams have won a combined eight Copa Libertadores trophies and its national team holds an 14 Copa America crowns, matched only by Argentina, Sica reminds us that “Uruguay’s last (Copa America) title triumph was back in 1995” and “since then Uruguayan football has plummeted.”
“While they continue to produce exciting players who ply their trade in the elite leagues of Europe, they have failed to translate their talent into results,” declares Sica, who points out that Uruguay, once a World Cup regular, has qualified once (in 2002) since 1990. So where and when did it all go wrong, you ask?