Uruguay coach sees tough playoff against Jordan

Uruguay's national football team coach Oscar Tabarez Friday said Jordan will be tough to beat in the upcoming playoff between the two for a chance to compete in the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil.

The Nov 13 game, the first of a two-leg playoff, will take place in Amman, giving the Jordanians the home advantage, reported Xinhua.

"If Jordan gives everything it's got in its status as home team, it will make it hard for us, and I'm not being pessimistic or cautious," Tabarez said in Montevideo, prior to leaving for Turkey, where the team will train before arriving in Amman.

The coach said the Jordanians had an active style on the field, with "a lot of coming and going" and "when they shoot the ball to the forward, they aren't looking at how he moves forward, because the whole team is moving forward".

"If you think that Jordan, because it's in 70th place (in the FIFA world rankings), is Tahiti (which ended up in last place in the Confederations Cup), you'll have to think again," said Tabarez.

Additionally, the Jordanians are looking "very fit, they run the entire time. They don't have any elite football players, but to make a match tough, that's not necessary", he added.

The coach flew to Istanbul Friday, along with goalkeepers Martin Silva and Juan Castillo, defender Andres Scotti and Egidio Arevalo Rios.

The other 20 team members, most of whom play in Europe, are to meet them in Turkey's capital Saturday, including forwards Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, who will be playing for their European teams that day.

Uruguay finished in fifth place in the South American World Cup qualifying tournament, missing its chance to qualify directly for Brazil, as did Jordan, which also ended up in fifth place among Asian teams.

The first playoff match takes place Wednesday in Amman and the second, Nov 20 at Montevideo's legendary Centenario Stadium, a 55,000-seat venue that has already sold out for the much anticipated game.