Source: The Paper
The Paper reporter Qi Dong Chen Jun
As the last Asian team to play in this World Cup, South Korea failed to continue the previous "miracle" of Saudi Arabia and Japan.
On November 24, Beijing time, at the Education City Stadium in Lai Yang, Uruguay and South Korea in Group H appeared together, and in the end, Uruguay, who hit the post twice, drew 0-0 with South Korea.
Compared with the 0-0 result, one person was on the hot search first, he is 47-year-old Uruguay coach Diego Alonso.
Some netizens said bluntly: I didn't expect that the "best looking" of this game was the Uruguayan coach.
Yes, he is the high school striker who wore the Shanghai Shenhua shirt 15 years ago and destroyed the city in the Chinese Super League. Who would have predicted that Alonso, who was once criticized as a "parallel product", would now have such a gorgeous turn?
Alonso, who has changed to a suit and a clean hairstyle, is already a popular newcomer in the coaching world, but veteran Shenhua fans are familiar with the heroic posture of Uruguayans wearing blue shirts and attacking the city.
From the "Shenhua Famous Place" to the Uruguayan qualifying hero, a turn, but it has been 15 years of vicissitudes.
At the beginning of 2007, Shanghai Liancheng, funded by Zhu Jun, introduced three well-known South American internationals in the transfer market, and Alonso was one of the most famous. After that, United City merged with Shenhua Lightning, and Alonso also became the team's new No. 9.
But at that time, he was injured and did not adapt to the atmosphere of the Chinese Super League, and coach Jimenez was also full of slots in his use, and Alonso, who did not score a goal in the first nine rounds of the league, was labeled as a "parallel cargo".
After a brief adjustment, Alonso gradually recovered, and new coach Wu Jingui scored consecutive goals after taking office, completely reversing the bad reviews. He scored twice to help Shenhua win 3-2 away against Guoan, which can be called a masterpiece of his Super League career. Unfortunately, the Uruguayan centre-forward suffered an injury at the end of the season and had to return home early for treatment.
Throughout the season, Alonso scored 12 goals for Shenhua and helped the team win the A3 title. At the parting time, the Uruguayan said with tears in his eyes that he hoped that he could come back and continue to play for Shenhua. Unfortunately, the two sides were unable to continue the new season.
So, how did Diego Alonso become Uruguay's manager?
Uruguay's form has plummeted since the start of the South American qualifiers for the World Cup in Qatar, with only two wins in the first seven qualifiers and only seventh place in the South American zone after the round of 14, which is completely unacceptable for an established team with Suarez and Edinson Cavani.
Someone has to come out and blame the blame, and this is Tavares, who has been in charge of the team for 15 years. Although the veteran coach who commanded the team on crutches four years ago was awe-inspiring, no matter how high the prestige, it is particularly vulnerable under the losing streak.
After several weighings, Diego Alonso took office.
As a representative of the Uruguayan Young Champions, Alonso led the Mexican Super League teams Pachuca and Monterrey successively, winning the CONCACAF and Caribbean Champions League, which is a small success.
In December 2019, Alonso became the first coach in the history of Major League Soccer team Miami Internacional. But in the Beckham-heavily funded team, he managed only 24 games, and the team made the playoffs but finished 10th.
Alonso was sacked by the club on January 7 last year and has been idle ever since.
Compared with Tavares, who is known as the godfather of Uruguayan football, Alonso is undoubtedly a small character, and the Football Association has only signed a short contract with him, which will officially expire after the team finishes the World Qualifiers.
However, it is this core job that has a net duration of only 360 minutes, but it has witnessed Uruguay's revival:
On the FIFA match day at the end of January, Uruguay first beat Paraguay by one goal, and then beat Venezuela 4-1, and the qualification situation turned critical; In the two decisive matches until the decision to qualify in March, Uruguay defeated Peru, the dark horse of the previous qualifiers, 1-0 thanks to De Araskita's goal, and successfully collided with the line one round earlier.
Subsequently, he was also given the opportunity to officially lead Uruguay to the World Cup in Qatar.
(Comprehensive from netizen comments)