Much like their South American cousins, Uruguay’s first game at the 2018 World Cup saw a lack of structure to their approach derail an incredible array of attacking talent. Argentina were the latest victims of Iceland’s well-organised, combative style, while Brazil were held to a disappointing draw by Switzerland. Germany too looked incoherent, their midfield of Sami Khedira and Toni Kroos simply overrun by Mexico in their opening fixture in Group F, El Tri managing a stunning 1-0 win over the 2014 winners.
Where Lionel Messi toiled without success at Moscow’s Otkritie Arena, so too did Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez in Yekaterinburg against Egypt who – even without injured Liverpool star Mohamed Salah – proved to be a difficult opponent. Héctor Cúper had his men set up perfectly, their tactical discipline frustrating a La Celeste side who would eventually snatch a 1-0 win courtesy of a late José Giménez goal.
That it was the Atlético Madrid defender who made the breakthrough is largely due to his side’s ineffectiveness, Uruguay simply unable to create opportunities for their usually prolific strikers despite enjoying 59% of possession. The Pharaohs deserve much credit for their defensive focus, but the issues also owed much to the way Óscar Tabárez had set his team up and the starting XI he selected.
Throughout much of his tenure, the 71-year-old opted for a three-man midfield and, after losses in friendlies against Ireland and Italy last year, he was prompted to bring a youthful energy to that area of the pitch. With Inter’s Mattia Vecino already in place, Tabárez handed key roles to 20-year old Rodrigo Bentancur of Juventus and Federico Valverde (19) who spent last season on loan at Deportivo de La Coruña on loan from Real Madrid.
They brought a fresh impetus to the side, but the latter was left out of the final 23-man squad for the World Cup and against Egypt the Coach reverted to a 4-4-2 formation that proved to be his undoing. Constantly a man short in the middle of the park, Bentancur and Vecino found themselves unable to push forward, an problem that must be addressed before their next outing against Saudi Arabia and Russia.
A simple solution would be to bring Lucas Torreira into the side. Fresh from an outstanding campaign with Sampdoria, the 22-year-old has become a wanted man on the transfer market, attracting interest from Napoli, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund. Over the last week, it has been reported that he has agreed a deal with Arsenal however, Sports Mediaset believing the Premier League side will pay €30 million – €5 million over the buyout clause in his current contract – in order to spread the payments over the next couple of years.
He is so highly sought-after for the same reason he would provide an excellent solution to Uruguay’s problems, possessing an excellent blend of skills that would give both Arsenal and his national team a strong platform to play from. Leading all Serie A players in ball recoveries (296), Torreira averaged 2.9 tackles and two interceptions per 90 minutes, he started 36 league games in Marco Giampaolo’s 4-3-1-2 formation as the linchpin of the midfield trio.
The Samp Coach was certainly not put off by the fact his promising talent stands just 1.68m (5’ 6”). “If Torreira were 1.8 metres tall, he would already cost €100 million and would be considered among the strongest playmakers in the world,” Giampaolo said in an interview with the Corriere dello Sport earlier in the campaign. “He can play it short or long, wins the ball back, restarts play and always seems to know where the ball will be. He’ll go to a big club that does not care so much about his size.”
Indeed he is so much more than a defensive midfielder, proving as adept at building play as he is at thundering into challenges. Connecting with 87% of his 61.8 pass attempts per game, he commands the ball regularly, dictating the pace and tempo of the game and pushing his team forward. Those distribution figures are not padded with countless sideways passes, Giampaolo demanding his players are proactive and progressive, shunning sterile possession in favour of getting forward and creating scoring opportunities.
Torreira is a keen student of that philosophy, defensively diligent but unwilling to be an idle spectator when Sampdoria have the ball. He often pushes forward, yet has the energy to recover and not get caught upfield, traits which allowed him to weigh in with four goals and one assist in 2017/18. A strike in November’s 3-2 win over Juventus might have grabbed the headlines, but a stunning brace against Chievo highlighted just how effective he can be, despatching a perfectly struck free kick and another long-range drive in a 4-1 rout of the Veronese minnows.
Lucas Torreira with one of the best free kicks you'll see 😳
So far there was no wall...
Like many who shine in his role, Torreira is capable of finding just enough space even in high octane matches, rarely hurried into making mistakes and capable of picking out runners with accurate long passes but also comfortable enough to keep the ball when he needs to. Often driving forward with it, he completed 35 of the 44 take-ons he attempted this term and would certainly reinforce Uruguay in an area where they need it most.
His ability to protect the defence would allow Bentancur and Vecino to push forward too, ensuring Cavani and Suarez are not cut off from the rest of the team as they were last time out. Virtually unknown when he joined Sampdoria from Pescara for just €1.5 million, his next move – and perhaps his World Cup debut – will ensure Lucas Torreira’s name is not forgotten.
