Uruguay, Forlan push hosts to brink

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This article was published 17/06/2010 (5953 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

PRETORIA, South Africa — Diego Forlan scored two goals to help give Uruguay a 3-0 victory over South Africa on Wednesday and push the World Cup host team closer to becoming the first to go out in the first round.

Forlan first scored from a deflected 25-yard shot in the 24th minute and converted a penalty in the 80th to give Uruguay its first World Cup victory since a group game at the 1990 competition.

“Obviously, as a forward I like to score goals, but the important thing is to win,” Forlan said. “The team is good. We also played well against France. We’re very solid.”

Alvaro Pereira added the third goal in injury time, heading the ball off his knee and into the net from Luis Suarez’s cross.

Uruguay has four points from two games in Group A and is closing in on a spot in the next round, while South Africa has one and needs to beat France on Tuesday to have any chance of staying in the competition.

“Everything will be decided in the last game,” South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira said.

South Africa goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune was sent off by referee Massimo Busacca for giving away the penalty when he tripped Suarez in the area in the 79th.

“I haven’t seen it properly because there were players in front of me,” Parreira said. “But the players are annoyed, very disappointed. Everyone said it was the worst referee so far. He was giving yellow cards that weren’t yellow cards.

“He doesn’t deserve to be here.”

For South Africa, it was a grim reminder that sheer enthusiasm doesn’t match up to well-organized play from a vastly more experienced football country.

The game followed the pattern of this World Cup as another match of misplaced passes and defenders tightly marking forwards, stifling dribbles and shooting opportunities.

Siphiwe Tshabalala, whose goal against Mexico gave South Africa hope of reaching the next round, was high and wide with two ambitious long-range efforts.

Carlos Alberto Parreira warned his players to keep a close watch on Forlan, but he found plenty of space to get free to set up the chance for himself, sending a shot which clipped South Africa captain Aaron Mokoena before dipping over Khune.

France and Mexico face each other Thursday in Polokwane in the next Group A match.

— The Associated Press