Fresh from winning their glories in the FIFA U-20 World Cup semifinals, Uruguay and France are now preparing to arm razor-sharp drills to seize the coveted win on July 13 at the Ali Sami Yan Arena in Istanbul, Turkey.
France | Image source: fifa.com
Revered as a tournament favorite by match supporters, Les Bleuets (France) advanced to the final after making their finishing count against a spirited Ghanaian side. La Celeste (Uruguay), meanwhile, came with tight margins with Iraq to post a draw match but was later able to secure an astonishing score on penalties—which has been 28 years since a FIFA U-20 World Cup semi-final produced a winner based on such decision.
At this stage of the competition, Uruguayans have more experience than their European opponents, having reached the final in 1997 to get past Ghana in extra time. In addition, the South American side figured in the final of the FIFA U-17 World Cup Mexico 2011. The French team is nevertheless a strong contender. The squad’s close-knit nature is one of its strengths, not to mention that attacking midfielder Florian Thauvin—who is noted for his supreme skill—is under its belt. This is the first time ever that France was qualified for the FIFA U-20 World Cup final.
A tough opening game for the two sides is highly plausible. Both teams have their own performance fluctuations in their past matches. France has high reputation but recently failed to live up to that status, having been eliminated at the group stage at Euro 2008 and recently got beaten by China. Uruguay was able to bag a place in the South American qualifying section, but was one of the last qualifiers to do so.
Although France has had a streak of misfiring attacks, it could still make fiery performances in the finals. It is not as experienced as Uruguay, but it clearly has the better talents.
Predicted winner: France
France | Image source: fifa.com
Revered as a tournament favorite by match supporters, Les Bleuets (France) advanced to the final after making their finishing count against a spirited Ghanaian side. La Celeste (Uruguay), meanwhile, came with tight margins with Iraq to post a draw match but was later able to secure an astonishing score on penalties—which has been 28 years since a FIFA U-20 World Cup semi-final produced a winner based on such decision.
At this stage of the competition, Uruguayans have more experience than their European opponents, having reached the final in 1997 to get past Ghana in extra time. In addition, the South American side figured in the final of the FIFA U-17 World Cup Mexico 2011. The French team is nevertheless a strong contender. The squad’s close-knit nature is one of its strengths, not to mention that attacking midfielder Florian Thauvin—who is noted for his supreme skill—is under its belt. This is the first time ever that France was qualified for the FIFA U-20 World Cup final.
A tough opening game for the two sides is highly plausible. Both teams have their own performance fluctuations in their past matches. France has high reputation but recently failed to live up to that status, having been eliminated at the group stage at Euro 2008 and recently got beaten by China. Uruguay was able to bag a place in the South American qualifying section, but was one of the last qualifiers to do so.
Although France has had a streak of misfiring attacks, it could still make fiery performances in the finals. It is not as experienced as Uruguay, but it clearly has the better talents.
Predicted winner: France
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