There is an old saying in South American football that trying to balance a team is like having a small blanket on a cold night: cover your neck and your feet freeze, cover your feet and your neck gets cold.
For Uruguayan coach Marcelo Bielsa, this has never been a dilemma. There is no doubt what he wants to do: pull the rug out from under him as high as possible. His forward-like football accepts risks. He will try to smother the opposition, but if they do manage to break through, Bielsa's team offers plenty of space for a counterattack.
It is no surprise, then, that during Bielsa's time in charge of Chile, Brazil was the kryptonite to his Superman. That Chilean team captivated neutrals with its reckless approach, but every time it faced Brazil, with its devastating counterattack, Chile fell to the counterattack.
Could it be any different now, as Bielsa's Uruguay prepare for a clash in Las Vegas with Brazil in the Copa America quarter-finals?
There is one striking similarity between the current Uruguay team and the Chilean one Bielsa coached in 2007: youth. Back then, Chile had just discovered a wonderful generation, which had finished third at that year’s Under-20 World Cup. Some of those players – Alexis Sánchez, Mauricio Isla – are still important names in the Chilean national team. Back then, they were all young and hungry, full of energy and a desire to learn, ready to be shaped by Bielsa’s teachings.
Something similar happens with Uruguay, which has returned to the top of football in recent times thanks to excellent work in the lower categories. Historic names such as Diego Godín, Luis Suárez or Edinson Cavani and many others are the result of work in the lower categories, especially in the under-20 category. But after the World Cup in Qatar they have left: Suárez continues to be a substitute, perhaps more important now for his presence on the field than for what he does on it.
There are plenty of more recent graduates of the Uruguay Under-20 project for Bielsa to choose from. And it is clear why the former Leeds manager was tempted to take the job. Beyond any cultural affinity the Argentine feels with Uruguay, the backbone of a new, dynamic, Bielsa-style team was there for him. He has Darwin Nunez as a dynamic and aggressive centre-forward – seven goals in Uruguay’s last seven competitive internationals.
They have fast, direct wingers, a type of player so important in Bielsa's game plan. They have a midfield full of lung power and quality, built around Real Madrid's extraordinary Federico Valverde, with Manuel Ugarte as a protector and the small, active Nico De La Cruz, a mobile link with the forwards.
In defence, they also have Ronald Araújo, a Barcelona defender who, due to injury, was unable to participate in the 2022 World Cup. His absence was a hard blow. His presence now, in Bielsa's starting eleven, is even more important. Against Panama (when Araújo came off at half-time) and Bolivia, this may not have been noticed. These were games that were played mainly in the other half of the field, with Uruguay establishing a dizzying and frenetic dominance from the start.
It is true that in both games Uruguay started the second half badly. As the intensity drops (something inevitable in the heat), the team seems unable to slow down the pace of the game and its carelessness in losing the ball has caused Bielsa to howl like a wolf on the touchline. But they were never seriously threatened, until the game against the United States.
This time it was different. In the fight to stay in the tournament, the Americans attacked with determination to impose themselves in the game. And they came up against Araújo. The burly defender was a force of nature, fierce in one-on-one duels and quick to cover his teammates. If the Americans failed to translate their offensive intentions into clear-cut chances, Araújo had a lot to do with it.
Now the defender becomes a key man in the duel with Brazil.
It is true that the match is being played in an indoor, air-conditioned stadium, but the players are carrying the scars of previous matches and training sessions in extreme heat. Bielsa's style of play demands relentless running and boundless energy. The aim is to stifle the opponent's attack at the source. If the high press fails and Brazil can rush in from the back, then, even in the absence of the suspended Vinícius Júnior, the danger is clear.
Araújo, the son of a Brazilian mother who grew up in the border town of Rivera, will have the enormous responsibility of maintaining the defensive line against the advancing hordes.
During his time with Chile, Bielsa was unable to count on a player with the qualities of Araújo. On Saturday, the centre-back could make the difference. Bielsa can risk his life in Las Vegas, pulling the rug from under his feet, confident that Araújo can keep his team's feet well covered.
