Forlan Leads South Africa a Merry Dance

Uruguay 3 South Africa 0, Pretoria

Attack certainly seems the best form of defence for South America's finest. Following Chile's refreshing brand of attacking football, Uruguay took the hint to overwhelm the hosts, South Africa in the Loftus Versfeld Stadium.

A scoreline of 3-0 did not flatter them, such was the range of options available to them in the last third of the field. Tabarez decided to play Cavani up front with Suarez and Forlan and the threesome didn't let him down. Forlan was perhaps the most impressive of the trio and it was his long-range shot from around 30 yards that found the top corner, via a small deflection. Suarez found space in the box before half-time but he fired into the side-netting when he could have squared to more favourably placed team-mates.

South Africa threatened only briefly but La Celeste (although playing in white) had to wait until 10 minutes before the end to grab a deserved second. Khune, in the South African goal, can have few complaints about the penalty he conceded, diving in with his feet to bring down Suarez. Maybe he could argue that Suarez was going away from goal but really he must have half-expected the accompanying red card. Forlan was not about to let the Bafana Bafana off the hook, rifling his penalty into the top corner past the substitute keeper Josephs.

The scoring wasn't quite over. Suarez found space in the box again following a long ball and this time he had the sense to send over an expert chip for Alvaro Pereira to half head/ half chest it into the net.

Again like Chile, this win had been a long time coming. Not since 1990 had they won a World Cup game, also with Tabarez in charge. What price back-to-back victories with Mexico up next for Uruguay? Tabarez seems to have released the shackles and with Forlan and Suarez in this form there has to be every chance they will progress further.

How they lined up: Muslera, Lugano (Captain), Godin, Fucile (Fernandez, 71), Pereira, Pereira, Perez (Gargano, 90), Rios, Cavani (Sebastian Fernandez, 89), Suarez, Forlan