Uruguayans bade farewell to their dreams of World Cup glory on Tuesday but the mood remained festive on the streets of the capital as soccer fans agreed that "La Celeste" had done them proud.
|Last Updated: Jul 07, 2010, 09:03 AM IST|Source: Bureau
Montevideo: Uruguayans bade farewell to their dreams of World Cup glory on Tuesday but the mood remained festive on the streets of the capital as soccer fans agreed that "La Celeste" had done them proud.
Uruguay, who won the sport`s ultimate prize in 1930 and 1950, succumbed 3-2 to the Netherlands in their first World Cup semi-final in 40 years.
"I`m proud of the team. Sad because we were close, but happy because we went out with our heads high," said Milton Quintana, 45, one of thousands of fans who gathered to watch the game on a giant television screen in Montevideo.
"They fought to the last, never giving up, refusing to surrender," said sports commentator Mario Bardanca.
Tuesday`s typically gutsy performance is likely to reaffirm Uruguayan pride in the so-called Garra Charrua, which literally means the Charruan claw, a term used to refer to fighting to the bitter end. The team are commonly nicknamed "Los Charruas" after a long-lost indigenous people.
"They gave it their all. We should keep on celebrating the claws that these players have," said Huber Morales, 32.
"They played how they should have done, giving everything they could as they struggled to get a draw," said sports journalist Ricardo Pineyrua. "We`re happy because we showed the world we`re fighters to the last, but there`s sadness to because perhaps we deserved to reach the final."
Uruguayan President Jose Mujica, 75, who was unable to travel to South Africa on health grounds, said the team had gone out of the tournament with dignity."If we`d have had five minutes longer we would have won," the former leftist guerrilla said according to the news website www.montevideo.com.uy. "We lost, but we kept our dignity."
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.