Diego Godin heads to this summer’s World Cup in Brazil on the back of the best season of his career.
Fresh from scoring a goal in the 1-1 draw against Barcelona at the Nou Camp which effectively secured his club, Atletico Madrid, their first Liga title for 18 years, he also scored in the Champions League final only to suffer a 4-1 defeat to rivals Real Madrid.
The defender was part of the Uruguay side that reached the semi-finals four years ago in South Africa, and will be a key player as ‘La Celeste’ look to emulate the team of 1950, who lifted the trophy the last time Brazil hosted the tournament.
Q The tournament in Brazil will be the second World Cup of your career. Were you able to take any lessons away from the tournament in South Africa?
A Yes, experiencing a World Cup gives you an understanding of how to tackle a tournament like this.
The biggest lesson is knowing that we’re going to play against some great national teams and that the most important match is the first one (against Costa Rica on June 14).
Then to win the first match, because that sets the tone of how you play in the group stage. The biggest goal for each team, mine as well, is winning that first match and going on to secure a spot in the next stage.
The match against Ghana in South Africa that took you to the semi-finals of the tournament was one of the most intense matches of the 2010 World Cup.
What are your memories of the match and your eventual victory in the penalty shootout?
It was amazing, because it was one of the most exciting matches that I’ve experienced, for everything that happened. We started out losing and we turned things around.
To be playing against Ghana with the entire continent of Africa supporting them, and to be able to turn it around when they got a penalty off a handball in the last minute of injury time can’t be described.
To win it on penalties with a Panenka-style goal (by Sebastián Abreu), it was amazing, it was one of the most incredible matches I’ve played. We then celebrated but were thinking about how to face the semi-final.
For us, playing in a World Cup was unthinkable before, we couldn’t imagine playing in a World Cup semi-final, we had a great time and we almost made it to the final.
Do you think the current Uruguay team is better than the team that played in 2010? Has anything changed after making it to the semi-finals in 2010, and winning the Copa America in 2011?
For me it’s not better or worse, it’s different, because while there might be a difference in players it’s not much – the same group has been playing together for many years.
We might change one player for another but the base is more or less the same. This same team was practically the core of the group that were fourth in the World Cup in South Africa, that won the Copa America and qualified once again for the World Cup in Brazil.
The team with which we hope to play really well because we have great players that have been playing together for many years now.
The last time Brazil hosted the World Cup, Uruguay beat the hosts in the final, how confident are you that history can repeat?
It’s the hope of an entire country, the excitement of an entire country, after what was such an enormous feat, the greatest in world football: winning the World Cup in Brazil.
But we’re focused on enjoying the World Cup; making it past the first round is the biggest objective of Uruguay and the rest of the teams and we don’t imagine ourselves beyond that.
People are very hopeful because of what was, remembering that maracanazo, and because we’re very close to Brazil and many people from Uruguay can go to the World Cup, but we’re not thinking beyond that at the moment.
In the group stage you will have to face Italy, England and Costa Rica. Which of these teams is the biggest threat?
I’d say Italy. It’s the national team with the longest history and the most titles and they’re doing things better now. They’re also a serious contender for the title as well, so we respect them a lot.
We respect all the teams a lot, but looking at the group I think Italy is the strongest. But we respect all the national teams. England has a great team.
Costa Rica, who we’ve already faced, has also grown significantly over the past four years.
Against Italy you will likely have to look after Mario Balotelli. How difficult an opponent do you expect him to be?
Yes, he’s going to be the big point of reference when we play against Italy.
Balotelli is a great player who proves it on the pitch, and one of the biggest challenges to try and win that match is going to be controlling Balotelli, who is a leader and a player who can easily win games on his own.
Your team-mate Cristian Rodriguez has promised to travel to San Cono on horseback if you were to win the World Cup. What will you do to mark the occasion?
I don’t know. I can’t imagine winning a World Cup or what one would do. It would be an immense joy to celebrate it with my teammates, friends, with my family, with everyone, but I’m not making any promises.
Diego Godin and his team-mates will wear the new Uruguay World Cup kit by PUMA. For more information about PUMA at Brazil 2014, head to www.puma.com/football.
