World Cup 2014 Preview – Uruguay

The sixth ranked Uruguay squad is loaded with talent, especially up front with some of the best strikers in the world. Teams looking to beat Uruguay will basically need to bring more firepower to the pitch.

Leading this team is reigning English Premier League Golden Boot and the Football Association Writers' Player of the Year, Luis Suarez (#9). Suarez is a threat to score from anywhere on the pitch, scoring 61 goals at the club level for his squad Liverpool over the past two seasons. He is fast, shifty, has great ball skills, and possesses an absolute cannon for a leg. Don't be shocked to see teams attempt to double team him every time he touches the ball.

Edinson Cavani (not pictured) is also a top tier player up front for Uruguay. The Paris Saint-Germain star may be the main reason for any kind of goal scoring opportunities for Uruguay. As stated previously, teams will need to double team and keep close tabs on Suarez to make sure he doesn't run wild, but this extra attention is exactly what teams shouldn't do with Cavani lining up opposite of Suarez. Cavani is a powerful front man who has scored more than 170 goals in his relatively short soccer career at the club level. His experience playing against the top tier Italian talent will prove beneficial for Uruguay come June 12.

Diego Forlan (#10) is yet another dominant front man. He may get lost in the luster of this year's squad, but he is still the reigning best player of the 2010 World Cup. Forlan may be moving on up in age (34 years old), but his play is still as good as it ever was, although he may not be as consistent now as he used to be, as Father Time tends to do to all players.

My prediction: Uruguay are arguably the best squad in the world, and would my dark horse pick to win the 2014 World Cup, should I decide to pick a dark horse. They are in a rather difficult group (Group D) and must face Italy, Costa Rica, and England in order to advance to the Knockout Stage. However, they'll get the job done and move on to the next round as winners of the group to face off against the 2nd place team out of Group C (of which I picked would be the Ivory Coast).