It may or may not be surprising that Suárez is retiring from the national team. Lucho does not seem like the type of footballer who abandons ship at the worst moment. Of course, we are not anywhere near something as serious as that at the national team level.
But it is also true that since Bielsa arrived and Suárez stopped being a guaranteed starter, there has never been anything like what the Qualifiers will bring us from this Friday until the end of the year. Uruguay has to play 6 matches, in fact, they have played 6 and will have another 6 left.
The South American qualifiers for 2024 have been wrecked. The increase to 48 teams for the upcoming World Cups means that “everyone” qualifies. At the Conmebol level, 7 out of 10 teams will go. An absurdity. For countries like Uruguay, the matches turn into almost FIFA friendlies, meaning matches that are not experienced as in previous qualifiers where a slip could be definitive.
That said, it is clear that Uruguay is full of suspended players and injuries. Among the suspended, Darwin will miss the most matches. Rodrigo Bentancur, Mathias Olivera, Josema Giménez, and Ronald Araújo are also suspended. The latter is also injured and will be out for a long time. From Flamengo, a candidate to win the Libertadores (although we hope Peñarol prevents it), of the four Uruguayans who are starters in the carioca club, only Guillermo Varela is coming, who ironically has a suspension that will prevent him from playing against Paraguay. Matías Viña is out with an injury until the end of the year, De Arrascaeta would be torn, although no one has confirmed it, and Nicolás de la Cruz has also been injured, leaving him out for these two matches in September. We could also add the injury of Joaquín Piquerez, who, in the absence of Viña and Olivera, was a guaranteed pick for the left-back position.
Still, I believe that the flourishing moment of important players makes it reasonable to think that they can achieve 4 or 6 points and remain comfortably in the standings, not forgetting that seven teams qualify.
I estimate that the lineup will be Rochet with Nández, Cáceres, Bueno, and Olaza in defense; Valverde and Ugarte in the midfield with Braian Rodríguez or Facundo Torres as the link; and up front, Pellistri, Suárez, and Araujo.
The truth is that suddenly Luis Suárez announced that he would hold a press conference in which he would say that Friday’s match will be his last. He has played for the national team since 2007. He is the second player in terms of appearances, with 142 matches played, and he will try to round off his career as the top scorer in the history of the national team with his 70th goal on Friday.
It’s strange that he would leave at this moment, which I insist does not seem truly critical because there are plenty of points and “everyone” qualifies, but it was precisely now that he was going to be needed. I’m not sure why. I suspect he is another one who cannot stand the mistreatment from coach Marcelo Bielsa. I have no proof, but I also have no doubts.
It is true that at 37 years old, he might feel that it is time to step aside. It is true that he is no longer capable of playing 90 minutes at a high level. But he is leaving as captain just when the team is flooded with suspended and injured players. We will qualify anyway, but I think he is another victim of a hiring like Bielsa’s, which was done in good faith and is becoming increasingly difficult to support. Uruguay can win the World Cup with Bielsa, but it won’t be because of Bielsa. Suárez is leaving, and I believe that the Rosario player whom he belittled in the conference has a lot to do with it.
I am not fond of comparing eras. Luis Suárez is the best number 9 in the world of the 21st century. He is not the best player because he stands behind Messi and Cristiano. But since Ronaldo, the Brazilian, no one better has emerged for his position. He ranks as the fourth active scorer behind the two monsters and Lewandowski. In sixth place is Cavani, and I take this opportunity to note that no country has two scorers in the top 6 of that worldwide table. He is the 12th top scorer in the history of football. He has won two Golden Boots in Europe during the Messi and Cristiano era.
Moving to comparisons of different eras, I will make a short list of strikers or number 9s who shone or emerged on our fields, in order of appearance, to see where to place Lucho.
The first was José Piendibene, nicknamed “the Master,” who shone at Peñarol between 1908 and 1928. He scored more than 300 goals and, in addition to winning 3 Copa América titles, he was a scourge for Argentina and Nacional in his time. He was a quality 9, hence the nickname.
The second was Pedro Perucho Petrone, who revolutionized football in the 1920s. A glory of Nacional, he triumphed in Italy. His powerful shot made history. He was a three-time world champion in 1924, 1928, and 1930, scoring 11 goals at that level in the Olympic Games in Colombes and Amsterdam. He won two Copa América titles.
Severino Varela is a glory of Peñarol and Boca, with his white beret appearing when least expected. He is the top Uruguayan scorer in Copa América history with 15 goals. He won the South American championship (as it was called then) in 1942.
Atilio García was an Argentine glory of Nacional and went on to represent the Uruguayan national team. He scored over 500 goals, holds the record for 34 clásico goals, and marked an era between 1938 and 1950 with the tricolor jersey. He scored 4 goals in a clásico, and no one has been able to match that.
Omar Míguez, nicknamed Cotorra, was the top Uruguayan scorer in World Cups, with his 8 goals contributing to winning the World Cup in Brazil in 1950 and a fourth-place finish in Switzerland in 1954. He was the owner of exuberant quality. Rabonas, backheels, scissors kicks, he was complete.
Alberto Spencer arrived from Ecuador and scored more than 300 goals, dazzling for Peñarol in the 1960s. He won 3 Libertadores and 2 club world titles with decisive goals in finals and classics. Even today, he is the top scorer in Libertadores history. His head was magical, and his speed was impressive.
Luis Artime shone in Nacional, which won the Libertadores and the world club title in 1971. He was the top scorer in the Uruguayan championships he played during the three-time championship from 1969 to 1971 and was relentless in the clásicos. He became the top scorer in the history of the Argentine national team until the 1980s and was a top scorer in Atlanta, Independiente, and River. He didn’t take penalties, but in the area, he was unique.
Fernando Morena, with nearly 700 goals, is an idol of Peñarol. He is the classic top scorer of his club and holds all sorts of historical records. He was South American and World Champion with Peñarol in 1982 and South American Champion with the national team in 1983.
There may have been others, but the goal-scoring trilogy of the 21st century is formed by Diego Forlán, Edinson Cavani, and Luis Suárez. All three were Copa América champions in 2011 and took Uruguay to the semifinals of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Placing Luis Suárez in a list of number 9s that includes Piendibene, Petrone, Severino, Míguez, Atilio, Spencer, Artime, and Morena puts him at the table of the greats.
In the press conference, he reiterated that he admired Francescoli, as happened to Zidane. But his humility led him to clarify that Enzo won 3 Copa América titles and he couldn’t emulate that. For me, the Argentine crack of River and the national team was more of a 10 than a 9, but he was both, it’s true.
Luis Suárez, unlike those named, played very few years in Uruguay but emerged here. In his native Salto and then he was developed by his Nacional.
Thank you for everything Lucho. You were a great with the celeste and you are an idol for all the jerseys you defended. Nacional, Groningen, Ajax, Liverpool, Barcelona, Atlético de Madrid, Gremio, and now Inter Miami count you among their greatest idols. It’s not normal to have never failed.
You were a champion of Europe and the World with Barcelona, top scorer of the club world cup in 2015, Copa América champion, and top scorer of the 2011 cup.
A beast, an animal, perhaps he is not the best Uruguayan in history because there are many great champions of America and the world, but no one who has ever worn the number 9 on our fields could have been better. Well, perhaps yes, but I don’t think so.
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