Real Football Man All of the Football, All of the time
The Centenario Copa America is in full swing with the first few games taking place over the weekend (truth be told, I took a weekend break from the blog and I complete forgot about previewing this a UFWC title match – sorry about that) and not only that we now have brand new UFWC champions
Uruguay were almost doomed from the start when the tournament organisers played the wrong national anthem. As the players lined up, the Chilean anthem was being blared out of the loudspeakers much to the bemusement of everyone connected to the Uruguay team
With that embarrassment put to one side matters didn’t get any better on the pitch as Mexico took the lead after just four minutes when Andres Guardado’s excellent cross was headed into his own net by left back Alvaro Pereira under pressure from Hector Herrera.
It was a quiet game for Luis Suarez and his strike partner Edinson Cavani spurned a chance to equalise, driving a shot straight at a spread-eagled Alfredo Talavera in the Mexico goal. Then, right on the stroke of half-time, Uruguay midfielder Matias Vecino received a second yellow card and was sent off.
Mexico also went down to ten men, in the 73rd minute, when Guardado received his second yellow. And from the resulting free kick, Uruguay captain Diego Godin headed an equaliser. It looked like Uruguay could retain the UFWC title, but that wasn’t to be.
Mexico scored twice in the last few minutes to win the game, first through 37-year-old captain Rafael Marquez, who smashed a shot into the net at the near post, then, in stoppage time, Herrera headed home from close range to make the final score 3-1 to the new UFWC champions.
Mexico’s first defence of their brand new title will be against Jamaica in the small hours of Friday Morning U.K. Time. Will they fall at the first hurdle or will the push past their CONCACAF rivals. One thing is for sure for them to hold on to the title throughout the Copa America they are going to have to win the tournament outright.
Here is a list of holders since I’ve been tracking this title back in 2010:
North Korea
Sweden
Argentina
Uruguay
Costa Rica
Netherlands
Argentina (2)
Germany
Argentina (3)
Brazil
Colombia
Argentina (4)
Chile
Uruguay (2)
Mexico
There hasn’t been a European holder since the 2014 World Cup.
Here is all you need to know from last night’s title match
