SAO PAULO: Veteran coach Oscar Washington Tabarez compared Uruguay’s victory over England with a film drama.

‘Maestro’ Tabarez said afterwards: “We knew exactly what we were doing. If this were a movie and someone had written the script, it could not have ended more happily for the Uruguayan public.

“On the day of the birth of our greatest hero [José Artigas] we beat a great team like England.”

But Tabarez, known as The Teacher or The Professor, refused to allow himself to be carried away by the euphoria which had engulfed his players.

He said: “My experience in football tells me that however well you plan and organise you can still lose. But it is a satisafction for us to beat a top European team because had said this was something we could not do.”

Cavani role

“England forced us to play our best. We will not be the most attractive team to watch at this World Cup but we have players who are very close to each other and very loyal to our country. This is the same for everyone and it is very important.”

Tabarez praised Edinson Cavani for covering back to restrict time and space around England captain Steven Gerrard.

He said: “We tried to restrict England where they are strongest. They are quite scary to play against because of the way they spread their four most attacking players all around the pitch. That is why Cavani’s role was so important in containing Gerrard.”

Tabarez also addessed the manner in which Uruguay had recovered from their disappointing opening defeat by Costa Rica.

He said: “The gap between winning and losing is very small. Each team can create danger. When we lost to Costa Rica it was not the first time we were on the brink of going out but we never, ever give up.

“Sometimes, also, you learn more from a defeat than a victory.”

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