Cebolla Rodríguez is still a kid inside. You can see him with a rod heading the backyard of national team camp in JN Resort. Edi Cavani, who is also fond of fishing, follows him. It doesn´t matter if fish don´t bite. It is an excuse to chat for a while.
Technology plays a significant role in this young group.
“Cebollita and Luis Suárez are the mobile fans. But we have the other version, Tata González, who is the opposite, far from the mobile phone,# a member of the group said to El Observador.
Matador Cavani is known for his good taste in clothes. They say he is a fashion fan, although he did not have chance to show them off as they went from the hotel to the pitch and from the pitch to the hotel.
The youngest boys of the teams are the ones who wear more accessories. Josema Giménez and Abel Hernández stand out not only for their haircuts but also for their earrings. Josema shares the room with Jorge Fucile. El Maestro takes those things into consideration. The novices generally go with more experienced men. The winger-back revealed what he told Atleti´s young player before his debut in the World Cup.
“I shared my viewpoint with him, which is different to the one of many of my teammates. I am quiet, I enjoy it differently. If I have to take part in the final of the World Cup, I play it and enjoy it as I do in any other match. That´s what I told him, to enjoy.”
The group is used to guiding younger ones. It already happened to Sebastián Coates when he had his debut and he will never forget it: “They came to talk to me, they told me they trusted in me, that they supported me. And that helps. It is not the same to listen to the national anthem here than in the U-20 championships. It´s really moving.”
Music is an important part of this squad. Most of the players arrive at the training sessions with the mate ready and the music player.
Palito Pereira inherited Loco Abreu´s role and is always carrying a music player.
On Saturday, after the last open training session, surprised his mates and strangers when he got down of the bus listening to Brazilian music. The team is always in the search for new rythms.
Así como en Sudáfrica llegaban a los partidos con el himno nacional, un buen día pasaron a un tema de un africano en las eliminatorias. Y ahora se pudo escuchar la música local.
Time goes by but some customs remain. Several of them fingered at Monito Pereira for having one of the messiest rooms, while Diego Forlán´s is “immaculate”. In a World Cup there is room for sharing long hours of chat, giving place to friendships and jokes.
The managing team was also surprised by this squad when they were invited to take part in the event where the motivation video prepared by Diego Lugano was showed prior to the match against England. “They called us all, but when I say all I mean every single person of the delegation, to show the video”.
It was an Al Pacino´s movie with images of the players in different situations. “It was moving,” said one of the members of the Executive to El Observador.
Uruguay´s qualification to the Round of 16 of FIFA WC 2014 is to be determined of Tuesday. Hours shared by the team in Sete Lagoas training camp are now left behind. Hours of stories of friends and even family members. So many years, so many chats, so many hours of happiness and sorrow, build up a lasting friendship bond.
Lea la versión en español aquí.
