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Results 1950-1955                       Page Last Updated 24 January 2024

Uruguay

 
FIRST MEETING vs. URUGUAY
Uruguay are the 28th different opposition

 
u/o vs. Argentina
277 vs. Argentina
   previous match (7 days)
278 vs. Chile
279
next match (8 days)
280 vs. United States
  
290 vs. Uruguay
Sunday, 31 May 1953
Early Summer American Tour Match

 
Uruguay 2 England 1
[1-0]
  
postponed 24 hours because of fatigue
Uruguay is the 27th nation visited by England
Estadio Centenario, Parque Batlle, Montevideo
Kick-off (UYT):
3.00pm. 7.00pm BST

'official paid attendance:
66,072';
Receipts: 'about £15,000'; 'crowd looked to be about 80,000'
unknown kicked off  
This week's Music Charts

 
[0-0] Juan Carlos Cabrera strike hits the bar
[1-0] Julio Abbadie 27

 'cut in and shot hard along the ground with great accuracy from 20 yards and Merrick was beaten'
[0-0] Nat Lofthouse shot hit both posts 8
  
[2-0] Óscar Omar Míguez header 60

 'Cabrera, on the left, crossed perfectly for Miguez to head wide of Merrick from close in'
[1-0] Ivor Broadis ground shot hit the post 59


[2-1] Tommy Taylor 89
'Alf Ramsey, breaking through, passed to the unmarked Taylor, who hit the ball into the roof of the net'
There is no Television or Radio coverage
 
"Yes, Uruguay ARE world champions" Daily Record
Officials Uruguay UK ruling on substitutes England Party
Referee (black)
Arthur Edward Ellis
38 (8 July 1914), Halifax, Yorkshire
The FIFA ruling of allowing a substitute to replace an injured player prior to the 44th minute, and a goalkeeper at any time, is in place.

Another 'minor' match preceded this game, serving as a curtain raiser.
Linesmen
tbc tbc
  
Uruguay Team
 
Current World Champions Colours Sky blue jerseys with white v-necked collar/cuffs, black shorts, black socks with white tops.
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 7th
Captain Matias Gonzáles Manager Juan López Fontana, 45 (15 March 1908), also coach at CA Peñarol, appointed 1949.
Uruguay Lineup
  Máspoli Arbelvide, Roque G. 35
231 days
12 October 1917 G CA Peñarol 28 0
2 Gonzáles, Matías 27
298 days
6 August 1925 RB Club Atlético Cerro 29 0
3 Martínez Carreras, Wílliam R. 25
138 days
13 January 1928 LB Rampla Juniors FC 9 0
4 Rodríguez Andrade, Víctor P. 26
29 days
2 May 1927 RHB CA Peñarol 19 0
5 Carbello, Néstor E. 24
117 days
3 February 1929 CHB Club Nacional de Football 6 0
6 Cruz, Luis A. 28
33 days
28 April 1925 LHB Club Nacional de Football 5 0
7
Abbadie Gismero, Julio C. 22
266 days
7 September 1930 OR CA Peñarol 6 5
8 Schiaffino, Juan A. 27
307 days
28 July 1925 IR CA Peñarol 12 4
9
Míguez Antón, Omar Óscar 25
177 days
5 December 1927 CF CA Peñarol 14 12
10 Pérez Gutiérrez, Julio G. 26
346 days
19 June 1926 IL Club Nacional de Football 16 6
11
Cabrera, Juan Carlos nk nk OL Rampla Juniors 1 0
only app 1953
unused substitutes: Luis Radiche
team changes: Juan Carlos Cabrera was a late replacement.
World Cup Champions notes: Uruguay beat Brazil in Rio de Janeiro on 16 July 1950 to become the reigning World Champions, there are six surviving members of that team in this fixture, Andrade, González, Máspoli, Míguez, Pérez and Schiaffino.
 
2-3-5 Máspoli -
Gonzáles, Martínez -
Rodríguez Andrade, Carbello, Cruz -
Abbadie, Schiaffino, Míguez, Pérez, Cabrera.
Averages: Age 27 years 14 days¹⁰ Appearances/Goals 13.2 2.3
 
England Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 4th
Colours The 1949 home uniform - White collared short-sleeved jerseys, blue shorts, black socks with white tops.
P 32nd of 43, W 18 - D 8 - L 6 - F 83 - A 44.
Captain Billy Wright Manager Walter Winterbottom, 40 (31 March 1913), appointed as FA national director of coaching/team manager on 8 July 1946;
record 35th of 90, W 21 - D 7 - L 7 - F 84 - A 43. Trainer: Jimmy Trotter (Charlton Athletic FC) P 53rd of 139, W 34 - D 11 - L 8 - F 154 - A 62, inc. one abandoned.
  ³ Party chosen by Selection Committee headed by Harold Shentall, on Monday, 13 April. Team chosen on Saturday, 30 May.
England Lineup
  unchanged from the previous two matches (for a second time post-war) league position (FINAL) (13 April>2 May)  
  Merrick, Gilbert H. 31
125 days
26 January 1922 G Birmingham City FC (FL2 9th>6th) 13 15ᵍᵃ
2
Ramsey, Alfred E. 33
129 days
22 January 1920 RB Tottenham Hotspur FC (FL 10th>=) 29 1
3 Eckersley, William 27
319 days
16 July 1925 LB Blackburn Rovers FC (FL2 8th>9th) 12 0
4 Wright, William A. 29
114 days
6 February 1924 RHB Wolverhampton Wanderers FC (FL TOP>3rd) 50 3
most apps 1952-53
5 Johnston, Harry 33
244 days
26 September 1919 CHB Blackpool FC (FL 7th>=) 6 0
6 Dickinson, James W. 28
37 days
24 April 1925 LHB Portsmouth FC (FL 13th>15th) 27 0
7 Finney, Thomas 31
56 days
5 April 1922 OR Preston North End FC (FL 2nd>RU) 46 21
8 Broadis, Ivan A. 30
161 days
18 December 1922 IR Manchester City FC (FL 18th>20th) 7 3
9 Lofthouse, Nathaniel 27
274 days
27 August 1925 CF Bolton Wanderers FC (FL 12th>14th) 15 15
10
Taylor, Thomas 21
122 days
29 January 1932 IL Manchester United FC (FL 8th>=) 3 2
11 Berry, R. John 26
364 days
1 June 1926 OL Manchester United FC (FL 8th>=) 3 0
unused substitutes: Ted Ditchburn (Tottenham Hotspur FC (FL 10th>=)), Tommy Garrett (Blackpool FC (FL 7th>=)), Ray Barlow (West Bromwich Albion FC (FL 5th>4th)), Roy Bentley (Chelsea FC (FL 21st>19th)) and Jack Froggatt (Portsmouth FC (FL 13th>15th)).
records: This defeat ends a record run of sixteen matches unbeaten, starting back in May 1951. Falling just short of the record of twenty matches without less between 1908 and 1909.
It also ends a run of ten matches unbeaten on a Sunday, which included seven victories.
England's fifth fixture against the World Cup Champions, W 3 - D 1 - L 1 - F 12 - A 6.
 
2-3-5 Merrick -
Ramsey, Eckersley -
Wright, Johnston, Dickinson -
Finney, Broadis, Lofthouse, Taylor, Berry.
Averages: Age 29 years 77 days Appearances/Goals 19.2 4.0
most experienced post-war team so far
"The F.A. presented the Uruguayan players with wallets and F.A. pins, but the Uruguayans gave nothing to the English players."
 
              Match Report by Mike Payne

England faced a formidable match on the last leg of their South American tour when they took on the current World Champions, Uruguay. Having won the trophy in 1950 they were now eagerly building a side to defend it in Switzerland the following year and emphasised their power.

England were desperately unlucky before the match. After the Chile game many of the party were struck down by stomach upsets and some of the players looked barely fit enough to play. Nevertheless they battled bravely and to only lose by the odd goal in three was no disgrace.

Uruguay took the lead after 27 minutes. Abbadie cut in from the right wing to fire low, hard and accurately from 20 yards leaving Gil Merrick well beaten. The crowd went wild with delight and fireworks were let off all around the stadium, a frighteningly new experience for some of the younger players of this England team.

The England team was always struggling and never really got going. Nat Lofthouse, especially, was a pale shadow of his normal self. Having said that England did have their moments. Tommy Taylor and Tom Finney almost got through and Uruguay occasionally had to hang on desperately to their lead. England had no luck at all especially when both Lofthouse and Ivor Broadis hit the inside of the Uruguayans' upright with shots that deserved a better reward.

In the 60th minute, Uruguay stretched their lead. Cabrera, out on left, centred perfectly for Míguez to head wide of the despairing Merrick. Five minutes later Abbadie missed a sitter, shooting over from close range.

At this stage Uruguay were in control, continually beating England for possession. But all credit to the tiring visitors as they refused to give up and they gained some deserved consolation in the last minute when Taylor pulled a goal back.
 

              Match Report by Norman Giller

World champions Uruguay turned on an exhibition against the old masters, and might have trebled their score but for being over elaborate with dazzling approach play. Abbadie gave Uruguay the lead in the twenty-seventh minute, and clever centre-forward Míguez made it 2-0 on the hour. Nat Lofthouse and Ivor Broadis struck the woodwork and Tommy Taylor scored in the closing moments after an Alf Ramsey shot had been blocked. It was a spirited fight back by England after they had struggled to hold the world champions in a one-sided first half. Míguez, a master of ball control and as crafty as a monkey, led the entire England defence a dance. Billy Wright, winning his 50th cap, played him as well as any defender could do, but several times was left tackling his shadow.
  

              Match Report as appears in the F.A. Yearbook 1953-54, pages 23-24

Although some of the players were taken sick after the game with Chile, England again fielded an unchanged team against World Cup champions at Montevideo a week later. Uruguay deserved their narrow win against visitors playing below form, though the England players dominated the early stages and made it a keen battle. Clearly England were up against perhaps the best team they had ever met; every man being fit, fast and strong, and the whole side switching swiftly from defence to attack. Right-half Andrade was a magnificent wing-half and the forward line was brilliant, moving the ball in bouts of short passing at incredible speed over the hard lumpy surface.
During the opening minutes an unlucky shot from Lofthouse hit the inside of both posts before curling out of goal into the arms of Maspoli. Lofthouse in particular appeared still unfit, and as Broadis and Taylor were also not at their best, the England attack seldom got going.
After 27 minutes Abbadie cut in and shot accurately and hard from 20 yards to beat Merrick. In the second half England fought back until another shot (this time from Broadis) again hit the inside of a post. Immediately Uruguay scored a second goal; Cabrera crossed a perfect ball for Miguez to head home from close in. In the last minute Taylor scored for England but it was too late.

  

              In Other News....
It was on 30 May 1953 that 18-year-old Maureen ('Little Mo') Connolly, from San Diego, won the women's singles at Paris to add the French Tennis Championship to the three other Grand Slam tournaments (Wimbledon, United States and Australian) where she was the reigning champion. She would go on to become the first woman to win all four titles in the same year, though her career would end, just over a year later, following a horse-riding accident, and she died, from cancer, at the tragically-young age of 34 in 1969.

It was on 1 June 1953 that Gordon Richards became the first horse-racing jockey to be knighted, when the Queen's Coronation Honours list was published. Five days later, at the age of 49, he won the Epsom Derby for the only time, on Pinza, and became the Flat Racing Champion Jockey for the 26th and last time, won over a period of 29 years. He retired, a year later. No jockey has come within 15 titles of this record since. Sir Gordon also won 4,870 races in his career, another all-time British record.
              Source Notes
TheFA.com
AUF.org.uy
Original newspaper reports
The Complete Book of the British Charts
  Rothman's Yearbooks
Mike Payne's England: The Complete Post-War Record

Norman Giller, Football Author
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