World Cup
2008-06-17 - Uruguay vs Peru
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
World Cup Qualifier Tuesday 17th June 2008Uruguay
Uruguay come into this match with the pressure building on their World Cup Qualifying campaign after only 5 games have been played. So far their record is 1-2-2 which leaves them in 7th spot in the table and they have scored 9 goals in those games while conceding 6.
The team did start their campaign on fire with a 5-0 demolition job on Bolivia at home but have faltered since. They have since lost at both Paraguay and Brazil while only earning home draws with Chile and Venezuala.
After throwing away a 1-0 lead at home to Venezuala this weekend, Uruguay are expected to make a number of changes to their side.
Christian Rodriguez will come back into the side after serving a suspension while Fabian Carini is likely to be dropped as goalkeeper after making another costly mistake against Venezuala which led to their equaliser. Juan Castillo is expected to start in goal.
Peru
Peru also find themselves in a tough spot in the qualifying group and their 0-3-2 record leaves them 2nd from bottom in the table. A big concern for them is the fact they have scored 3 goals in their first 5 matches while conceding 9 goals.
Peru have performed better at home than away as they have drawn all 3 at home against the likes of Paraguay, Brazil and Colombia but have lost both away games at Chile (2-0) and Ecuador (5-1). The Peruvians dont have the same solidity on the road as they do at home and they also seem to struggle for goals on their travels.
The local media in Peru have been very sceptical of the coach and his tactics after their 1-1 home draw with Colombia over the weekend. Many of the papers go so far as to blame the coach for the failings of the players and indicate that they expect far more from the group of players they have.
Peru do not have any new problems after Saturday's game and will be expected to continue with their 4-2-3-1 tactic.
Head to Head
Uruguay and Peru have met 7 times in the last 8 years, both in friendlies and in competitive football, with Uruguay winning 3 games, Peru winning 2 and 2 draws.
3 of the games took place in Montevideo, where both teams have won a game apiece with 1 draw. The last meeting here saw Peru win 1-3 in a 2004 World Cup Qualifier.
Prediction
Uruguay threw away 2 points over the weekend in their home draw with Venezuala, but I fully expect them to bounce back here, especially now the manager has shown he is unafraid of making changes when he feels it is necessary.
Peru have travelled badly in this qualifying session so far, and the media have not been impressed with the tactics employed by the coach. The team does not score enough goals on their travels and that will cost them against Uruguay.
I expect Uruguay to win this match at a decent price.
The Pick :
Uruguay 2-0 Peru
