Uruguay are in great form going into the Copa America, which starts Friday in Santa Clara. I would say they are the favourites, along with Argentina and Brazil, who are always favourites.
My country are top of the qualifying group for the next World Cup, having beaten Colombia and Chile, the reigning South American champions. It’s a really tough group and not one which Uruguay are used to heading, but the lads are playing brilliantly.
They went to Brazil and were 2-0 down, the first goal conceded after a minute. It’s almost impossible to come from behind in Brazil, but Luis Suarez, playing his first game back after his ban, scored and so did Edinson Cavani. They could have got a winner, too.
Uruguay have got themselves in this position even without some of their best players. Juventus’ Martin Caceres has really suffered with injury, while Cavani, Suarez and the captain Diego Godin have all missed games.
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Uruguay have some great players. Everyone talks about my friend Luis Suarez, who is in magnificent form, but there is quality throughout this Uruguay team. The two central defenders, Godin and Jose Gimenez, are exceptional. They play for my old club Atletico Madrid. Suarez and Cavani up front are world-class players. The goalkeeper, Fernando Muslera, who plays for Galatasaray in Turkey, is consistent and hugely experienced.
Carlos Andres Sanchez, who was at River Plate and is now in Mexico with Monterrey, is a very effective player on the right of midfield or as a winger. He is 31, and didn’t make his international team debut until he was 29. He has done really well. There are more; the idea of team is important, the spirit strong.
All of these players come from a country of just three million – about half the population of the metropolitan area of Philadelphia, where Uruguay will play Venezuela next week. Jamaica and Mexico are the other teams in their group. The 16 teams in four groups means it is more like a World Cup finals than a usual Copa America with 12 teams. I like that idea and the organisation in the United States will be first class.
Uruguay were once famous for defending well and counter-attacking. Now, they keep the ball more and pass better. They are confident, they are stable and in manager Oscar Tabarez, 69, they have a man who has been in charge for 10 years. He knows everyone really well and he is trusted and respected.
Sometimes I worry when everything goes right. Uruguay are used to being underdogs and using that as a strength. Now they are among the favourites in a competition they have won more times than any other country.
If I had to pick the greatest moment from my career then it would be winning the Copa America in 2011, the third person over three generations of my family to do it. It is a really important competition, one where great footballing countries play all their neighbours. The rivalries are incredible, the reasons for revenge high. The standard of the teams gets higher each tournament, too; almost all the teams have players at the top clubs in Europe.
Chile, who beat Uruguay last year to win the competition, are very strong but they have a new manager, Juan Antonio Pizzi. He is a respected coach, but players take time to understand the methods of any new coach. Colombia have top players such as James Rodriguez, and they play with great style. They will be hard to beat.
Ecuador are really strong, especially at home. They beat Argentina away and are top of the qualifying group for 2018 World Cup qualifying with Uruguay, but they often underperform in tournaments. They will want to change that.
Mexico have some top players and the USA are hard to beat. Even Costa Rica, who would not have been considered strong even two years ago, are very good. Who would have thought that Costa Rica and Uruguay would qualify from a group with England and Italy at the World Cup in Brazil two years ago?
Brazil are Brazil, but they will be without Neymar. I have seen some people say that him not being there devalues the competition. Clearly it would be better if he was playing, but he can't be expected to play in Copa America and the Olympics. Given that the Olympics are in his home country, in August, and that Brazil have never won an Olympic gold medal in football, I can understand why the decision has been taken for him to play in the Games.
This magnificent generation of Argentina footballers are desperate to win a trophy after appearing in the World Cup and Copa America finals, in 2014 and 2015 respectively. They will have their big stars and, like all the teams from South America, they will have massive support in North America. Every South American country has a lot of expats in North America and they will be desperate to see live football.
It is the first tournament that I will be watching Uruguay from Uruguay since I was a boy. In all the others I have been playing, although I was in Japan for the Copa America last year.
I am looking forward to watching games like a fan, surrounded by my friends and family. I am no longer part of the team after retiring from internationals last year, but I am still in a WhatsApp group with the players and look forward to reading what they are saying. Which is usually the things they can’t say in public!
More than that, I am hoping that Uruguay can continue this excellent run of form. This really is a golden age for football in my country.
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