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Roundup: Uruguay, the small nation with surprisingly good football results

Xinhua, June 3, 2015 Adjust font size:

With two World Cup and 15 Copa America titles under their belt, no one seems to be able to explain why the small South American country of Uruguay produces such high-quality footballers.

In the run-up to the Copa America which starts on June 11 in Chile once again sports critics look to fathom the reasoning behind Uruguay's constant success in world football.

In the 2012 census it was stated that Uruguay had a population of 3,286,314 people compared to the 202,768,562 and 42,669,500 of fellow South American football giants and neighbors Brazil and Argentina respectively. Therefore it begs the question, how is it possible that such a small nation can be such a large power in the world of football?

Uruguay have already won the Copa America tournament once more than Argentina and if they win again this year defending their title then they will have won double the amount of times as Brazil has.

During an interview for Copa America's official website on Tuesday, Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani tried to explain the phenomenon while taking time out from training.

He told the website his country's track record with football tournaments was "incredible" and he said "many footballers have emerged from our country but to reach the top you need to work hard but at the same time you need to be blessed with talent."

"I think that our country's culture doesn't help young people to achieve their goals and become professional footballers," added Cavani.

However, world media and sports websites such as Britain's Independent, The Score and Goal attribute the small South American country's success to their love of football, sheer determination and courage and also an aggressive system of identifying and developing young talent.

Whatever the reason behind Uruguay's success, it will be interesting to see how the team fare in Chile this year.

"The Copa America is another important challenge. It is a highly valued competition in our continent. It gives a special flavor and is a special goal for us which is only a few weeks away," said Cavani to Goal.

Uruguay will kick off their Copa America campaign on June 13 against Jamaica and will face Argentina and Paraguay later in the tournament. Endit