Lucas Torreira With An Opportunity To Shine For Uruguay

Lucas Torreira With An Opportunity To Shine For Uruguay
15:30, 22 Mar 2018

For a good while, it seemed as if only one member of the Torreira family would be going to this summer’s World Cup. In February, Ricardo Torreira received his accreditation to travel to Russia and commentate on Uruguay’s games for a radio station in his native Fray Bentos. When he heard the news he rang his son. “Next it will be your turn,” he said.

Lucas Torreira wasn’t convinced. He knew that his series of standout performances for Sampdoria in Italy were starting to build a compelling case for his inclusion in Uruguay’s squad for the tournament, but only a few months remained. Time was running out.

But finally the call came. Earlier this month, Torreira was named in the Uruguay squad for the second edition of the China Cup. Their participation begins with their semi-final against Czech Republic on Friday; depending on results they will then face China or Wales in the final or third-place playoff next Monday.

That he didn’t receive a call up sooner is perhaps indicative of the trust that coach Oscar Washington Tabarez and his staff have put in a process that encompasses all of the national team age groups - a process that has seen Uruguay qualify for each of the last six Under-20 World Cups and which has provided a steady stream of players for the senior team.

With talented players being whisked away from Uruguayan football at ever younger ages, Tabarez has followed the model set by Jose Pekerman during his time in charge of the Argentina youth teams by using the youth national teams to bring together the players with most potential and provide them with schooling in the identity of Uruguayan football.

Torreira is a case in point. At 17, he and five teammates from the Montevideo Wanderers youth teams travelled to Italy for a series of tryouts. There, he caught the eye of Pescara, who signed him up. He debuted at 19 and two years later moved on to Sampdoria.

His early move meant that he was one of the few players of national-team quality to slip through the cracks of the youth team selection process. Of the 20 players in Uruguay’s initial 23-man squad for the China Cup - before Martin Caceres pulled out injured - to have made their debuts since Tabarez took charge in 2006, Torreira is one of just four not to have played for their country at under-20 level.

That has clearly put him at a disadvantage compared to the likes of Federico Valverde and Rodrigo Bentancur, his primary competition for the open place in the centre of midfield alongside the quietly impressive Matias Vecino. Both came up through the youth ranks and were members of the side who reached the final four of last year’s Under-20 World Cup.

But his displays for Sampdoria, in combination with Valverde’s absence through injury, have been sufficiently impressive to force the issue and earn Torreira a chance to make his case for a World Cup place. Swift and precise in possession and a tireless presser out of it, his ability to provide dangerous direct and indirect set-piece deliveries makes him an all-round midfield talent.

If he can convince Tabarez and his staff of that over the course of the next week, maybe father and son will indeed have the opportunity to share the experience of Russia 2018.

x
Suggested Searches:
The Sportsman
Manchester United
Liverpool
Manchester City
Premier League
Sportsman HQ
72-76 Cross St
Manchester M2 4JG
We will not ask you to provide any personal information when using The Sportsman website. You may see advertisement banners on the site, and if you choose to visit those websites, you will accept the terms and conditions and privacy policy applicable to those websites. The link below directs you to our Group Privacy Policy, and our Data Protection Officer can be contacted by email at: [email protected]

All original material is Copyright © 2019 by The Sportsman Communications Ltd.
Other material is copyright their respective owners.