The Uruguay national team will play in the country's interior. La Celeste will face the Dominican Republic in a friendly match on November 17 at the Campus de Maldonado, as part of that month's FIFA international window. The team arrives at this commitment after suffering a defeat to India on October 6, but with a two-game winning streak in their last three matches, where they have recorded two wins and one loss.
The Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) confirmed the match details. The game will be played at night, though the exact kick-off time is still to be set. This fixture follows the clash against Argentina in Buenos Aires, scheduled for Saturday 13 November, a duel of particular interest after the last meeting, which ended in a victory for Argentina.
Return to a historic venue
The choice of the Campus is due to the unavailability of the Estadio Centenario, where CONMEBOL will be working on preparations for the Copa Libertadores final. Diego Forlán, a member of the coaching staff, explained the decision, noting it was due to the interest in playing in the interior and the main stadium's lack of availability.
The stadium in Maldonado has hosted four international matches between 1980 and 2000, with a favourable record for Uruguay of three wins and one loss. The last time La Celeste played there was in February 2000, when they beat Hungary. The history in Maldonado includes a thrashing of Bolivia, a thrilling win over Ecuador, and a narrow defeat to Paraguay.
Context and squad selection
This friendly comes at a time of good form for the team led by Marcelo Bielsa. Uruguay arrives on a two-game winning streak, including a resounding victory over India, and their form in the last three matches reads two wins and one loss.
For the November window, the coaching staff has pre-selected five goalkeepers, sixteen defenders, fourteen midfielders, and seven forwards, a list that will be trimmed before the matches. The match against Argentina, prior to the one in Maldonado, is of particular interest. The last meeting between the two ended in a victory for Argentina. The return to Maldonado marks a reunion with fans from the interior and closes a FIFA window with two distinct challenges.
First reported at la diaria
