Striker Diego Forlan says he is confident that Uruguay will have the measure of Germany in today’s World Cup third place play-off in Port Elizabeth.
“I think it will be an attractive game — Germany play very good football. But we also have our style of play. I hope it will be a good game — but our goal is to go out there and win this third place for Uruguay,” said the Atletico Madrid forward, who has scored four goals at the tournament.
PHOTO: AFP
Forlan had to go off in the final minutes of Tuesday’s 3-2 semi-final loss to Holland but he insists he will be back and raring to go today.
“I am a little tired — we have had a lot of games and now we’re into the final training sessions but after an intense year it’s normal (to feel fatigue),” he said.
Forlan has had an impressive season with his World Cup exploits and also leading Atletico to the Europa League title where he scored both their goals in the 2-1 win over English side Fulham.
Now he hopes to give the Uruguayan fans an exciting send off after the two-time champions’ most successful campaign for 40 years.
“I want to show my thanks to the people who have supported us. The important thing is to out there and get this third place,” he said.
Strike partner Luis Suarez — back from suspension following his controversial handball against Ghana in the quarter-finals which earned him a straight red card - is also looking forward to facing the Germans.
And he is happy for Forlan or any of his teammates to hog the goalscoring headlines as long as they win.
“It doesn’t matter who scores the goals — we forwards just want to help our team to victory,” the Ajax striker said. “With [Diego] Forlan and El Loco [Sebastian Abreu], and with Sebastian Fernandez we have some good aces in the pack.”
To date Suarez has three goals to his name.
Forlan insists that — even though he could still top the goals charts as he currently stands just one behind Spain’s David Villa and Holland’s Wesley Sneijder — “the individual side of things is secondary. I want to help Uruguay finish third.”
“We are really up for this match — our goal now is to come third and we’ll be very happy if we can manage that,” he said.
As regards the final, he says he hopes his adopted Spain will manage to net a first title in their first ever final against a Dutch side which has twice lost the trophy match.
“I’ll go with Spain as I like the way they play football, I think they are playing at a very high level and I see them as the favorites,” Forlan said.
Germany have been hit with flu worries as well as concerns over the fitness of star striker Miroslav Klose ahead of today’s game, team sources said yesterday.
Coach Joachim Loew is suffering from the flu — and so are skipper Philipp Lahm and striker Lukas Podolski — though it is hoped they will both be fit for the match.
Klose meanwhile missed training as he struggles to get over a back problem which affected him in the semi-final loss to Spain on Wednesday.
“Loew is confined to his bed and will not take part in the pre-match press conference at Port Elizabeth this evening,” spokesman Harald Stenger said.
Assistant coach Hansi Flick was due to step in for the afternoon press conference but Loew is expected to take his place in the dugout today.
Lahm and Podolski sat out that session but “their state of health is less serious than that of the coach,” Stenger said.
Klose hopes to play, meanwhile, as he is one goal off Ronaldo’s all-time World Cup scoring record of 15 goals.
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