Suárez and Cavani lead Uruguayan challenge
Monday, April 20, 2015
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FC Barcelona's Luis Suárez and Paris Saint-Germain's Edinson Cavani are Uruguay's top scorers in UEFA club competition; UEFA.com plots their course to success.
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Luis Suárez took the headlines by scoring twice in FC Barcelona's 3-1 first-leg win in their UEFA Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain, so Edinson Cavani, his friend and international team-mate, will try to respond for the French champions as they attempt to turn the tie around at the Camp Nou.
The two players were born just 14 days apart in the Uruguayan city of Salto, and each moved to the capital, Montevideo, to start a career in professional football, Suárez joining CD Nacional and Cavani heading to Danubio FC. When they were 19, both forwards headed to Europe: Suárez signed for Dutch club FC Groningen while Cavani went to Serie A and US Città di Palermo.
The dynamic duo first joined forces in Uruguay's youth teams, combining to great effect at the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup – sharing Uruguay's four goals – and reconvened with the seniors at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Suárez scored three and Cavani one as the South Americans eventually finished fourth.
The following year Suárez and Cavani – by then world-famous strikers with Liverpool FC and SSC Napoli respectively – went one better and led the line as Uruguay lifted the Copa América in Argentina.
Cavani's 78 goals in 104 Serie A games attracted the attention of Paris, who paid a reported €65m for his services. A year later Suárez – on the back of 31 top-flight goals for Liverpool in 2013/14 – transferred to Barcelona to complete a potent attack with Lionel Messi and Neymar.
The Uruguay pair were destined to cross paths again, Suárez scoring in Barça's 3-1 victory over Paris on matchday six before the quarter-final prompted yet another reunion. Cavani came into last week's first leg with six UEFA Champions League goals for the season compared with Suárez's four, but the Barça man drew level at the Parc des Princes with a fine second-half double.
Cavani could only applaud, saying: "Luis Suárez has done what he knows best." He will look to inspire an unlikely Paris revival on Tuesday.
Most appearances by a Uruguayan player in the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League (including qualifying)
59: Paolo Montero (Juventus)
55: Diego Forlán (Manchester United FC, Villarreal CF, Club Atlético de Madrid, FC Internazionale Milano)
50: José Santamaría (Real Madrid CF)
44: Walter Pandiani (RC Deportivo La Coruña)
39: Maxi Pereira (SL Benfica)
34: Cristian Rodríguez (SL Benfica, FC Porto, Club Atlético de Madrid)
34: Álvaro Recoba (FC Internazionale Milano)
31: Marcelo Zalayeta (Juventus)
25: Edinson Cavani (SSC Napoli, Paris Saint-Germain)
25: Diego Godín (Villarreal CF, Club Atlético de Madrid)
Top-scoring Uruguayan players in the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League (including qualifying)
15: Edinson Cavani (SSC Napoli, Paris Saint-Germain)
13: Walter Pandiani (RC Deportivo La Coruña)
11: Luis Suárez (AFC Ajax, FC Barcelona)
9: Diego Forlán (Manchester United FC, Villarreal CF, Club Atlético de Madrid, FC Internazionale Milano)
6: Álvaro Recoba (FC Internazionale Milano)
6: Marcelo Zalayeta (Juventus)
4: Ernesto Chevantón (AS Monaco FC)
4: Paolo Montero (Juventus)
3: Diego Godín (Villarreal CF, Club Atlético de Madrid)
3: Maxi Pereira (SL Benfica)
3: Richard Nuñez (Grasshopper Club Zürich)
Most appearances by Uruguayan players in UEFA club competition*
86: Diego Forlán (Manchester United FC, Villarreal CF, Club Atlético de Madrid, FC Internazionale Milano)
74: Maxi Pereira (SL Benfica)
71: Paolo Montero (Juventus)
63: Cristian Rodríguez (Paris Saint-Germain, SL Benfica, FC Porto, Club Atlético de Madrid)
60: Walter Pandiani (RC Deportivo La Coruña, RCD Espanyol)
57: Diego Godín (Villarreal CF, Club Atlético de Madrid)
55: Álvaro Recoba (FC Internazionale Milano)
52: José Santamaría (Real Madrid CF)
48: Luis Suárez (FC Groningen, AFC Ajax, Liverpool FC, FC Barcelona)
44: Álvaro Pereira (CFR 1907 Cluj, FC Porto, FC Internazionale Milano)
44: Edinson Cavani (US Città di Palermo, SSC Napoli, Paris Saint-Germain)
Top-scoring Uruguayan players in UEFA club competition*
29: Edinson Cavani (US Città di Palermo, SSC Napoli, Paris Saint-Germain)
27: Luis Suárez (FC Groningen, AFC Ajax, Liverpool FC, FC Barcelona)
24: Walter Pandiani (RC Deportivo La Coruña, RCD Espanyol)
23: Diego Forlán (Manchester United FC, Villarreal CF, Club Atlético de Madrid, FC Internazionale Milano)
13: Álvaro Recoba (FC Internazionale Milano)
12: Daniel Fonseca (SSC Napoli, AS Roma, Juventus)
11: Richard Nuñez (Grasshopper Club Zürich)
11: Gustavo Poyet (Real Zaragoza, Chelsea FC)
10: Carlos Aguilera (Genoa CFC, Torino FC)
9: Ernesto Chevantón (AS Monaco FC, Sevilla FC)
First Uruguayan to win the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League
José Santamaría (Real Madrid CF, 1958, 1959, 1960)
First Uruguayan to win the UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League
Rubén Sosa (FC Internazionale Milano 2-0agg FC Salzburg, 1994)
Top-scoring Uruguayan in UEFA club competition finals
2: Diego Forlán (Club Atlético de Madrid, 2010)
*UEFA club competitions means European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League, European/South American Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Super Cup and UEFA Intertoto Cup