Uruguay vs South Korea: Preview, Predictions, Lineups, News and Win Prediction

Winners on two occasions Uruguay kicks up its 2022 World Cup campaign against South Korea on Thursday at Education City Stadium.

Since Diego Alonso took over from Oscar Tabarez at the conclusion of last year, La Celeste has been in terrific form.

Despite the great achievements on the field, Tabarez's dismissal as Uruguay's manager after 15 years in charge has thrown their preparations into turmoil.

Alonso has dramatically rebuilt a team that was on the verge of collapse after a string of poor performances in South American qualification, but he still does not know his best starting XI or strategy.

Tabarez was fired as a manager with a qualification in jeopardy following four consecutive defeats, including a humiliating 4-1 loss in Brazil and a 3-0 loss away in Bolivia's famously tough altitude.

With four qualifiers remaining after the New Year, Alonso came in and won all four, with strong away win against Chile and Paraguay being the highlights, and Luis Suarez remained at the heart of everything good in the national team.

He is still unclear on whether the configuration is ideal for his team since 4-4-2 and 4-3-2-1 have both been employed frequently but have yet to be tested against quality opponents.

The finer points won't matter as long as they maintain this level of performance in attack and defense, since they have only allowed twice in his nine games in charge.

Getting the most out of their many offensive options will be critical, as Suarez, Darwin Nunez, Edinson Cavani, and Maxi Gomez have all contributed to Uruguay's two-goal average this season.

Alonso has emphasised frequently before the competition that they want to be world champions, and in their present form, they cannot be overlooked.

Meanwhile, South Korea enters the tournament with an under-fire management and a squad that has underperformed in the build-up to Qatar.

In addition, the worst-case scenario occurred on the eve of the competition, with Son Heung-min being hurt in the Champions League and requiring surgery on a shattered eye socket.

He has declared that he will do everything it takes to play since South Korea will suffer both psychologically and physically if he does not play.

If manager Paulo Bento decides to risk him right away, there's a chance he won't be fully recovered after such a traumatic buildup to the event.

With their offensive star out, the focus will be on their sturdy defense, but after surrendering just three goals in their ten AFC final-stage qualifiers, they should be OK.

Despite their spectacular victory against Germany in Russia, they were left bitterly disappointed after losses to Mexico and Sweden, which saw them ousted at the group stage.

They are once again in a highly competitive group, and they will need to inflict at least one upset to advance.

Match Timings and Head-to-Head Stats:

Kick off: 6:30 pm(IST), 1:00pm ( GMT)

Uruguay form (All comps): W-D-W-L-W

South Korea form (All comps): W-L-D-W-W

Uruguay and South Korea have previously met each other eight times. Uruguay has crushed South Korea, winning six of their seven games and losing only one.

Played – 8

Uruguay – 6

Drawn – 1

South Korea –1

Live Match Preview:

Players to Watch:

Federico Valverde:

Real Madrid's star player is in top form. Fede has demonstrated that he is not just a versatile player, but also excellent in nearly every position. Valverde has previously played as a winger for Real Madrid. In 20 games for Real Madrid in all competitions, he has eight goals and four assists.

These are impressive numbers considering he plays as a central midfielder, right winger, and right midfielder at times. Uruguay can take advantage of Valverde's flexibility and make the most of it against South Korea.

Son Heung-Min:

Not a shocking name to keep an eye on here. Son Heung-Min is undoubtedly one of the game's most underappreciated players. The Tottenham Hotspurs winger is frequently overlooked. Son's biggest moment with South Korea so far has been his goal against Germany, which eliminated the then-defending champions from the 2018 World Cup. Son is underperforming for Tottenham Hotspurs this season.

After contributing 34 goals in 45 games last season. Son Heung min has only scored five Premier League and Champions League goals for Tottenham Hotspur. Perhaps Son will appear just when his nation needs him the most.

Injury & Team News:

Ronald Araujo may be forced to skip the match against South Korea. Diego Godin is expected to replace the Barcelona defender, who is recuperating from a thigh operation. Fernando Muslera, Uruguay's main goalkeeper for the previous 13 years, is expected to miss the game. This is due to the fact that Sergio Rochet has already made several appearances for Uruguay's new manager, Alonso.

The news that Son Heung-Min had been injured dealt a significant blow to South Korea. It was due to a fracture in his eye socket. Son Heung Min, on the other hand, has declared that he is willing to play for his nation anytime it is needed. He might not be fully fit. South Korea's other star player is Kim Min-Jae. The defender is wowed by his performance for Napoli in the Champions League and Serie A.

Predicted Lineup:

Uruguay Predicted Line-up: (4-3-1-2)

Sergio Rochet, Varela ,Diego Godin, Gimenez, Olivera, Bentancur,Vecino, Federico Valverde, De Arrascaeta , Darwin Nunez, Luis Suarez

South Korea Predicted Line-up:(4-3-3)

Kim Seung Gyu, Kim Moon-hwan, Kim Young-gwon, Kim Min-Jae, Kim Jin-su; Jung Woo-Young, Hwang In-beom, Lee Sung Hwang Hee-chan, Son Heung-min, Hwang Ui-Jo

Uruguay and South Korea have previously met each other eight times. Uruguay has crushed South Korea, winning six of their seven games and losing only one.