Montevideo, July 10 (IANS) Liverpool star Luis Suarez and Napoli striker Edison Cavani have been included in the Uruguay Olympic soccer team for the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The Games are the first time in 84 years the South American nation has qualified to compete for an Olympic soccer medal, reports Xinhua.
National team coach Oscar Tabarez said the 18 members included star forward Suarez, who is one of only three players older than 23 years old, according to local media sources. And the others are striker Edinson Cavani from Italian Seria A club Napoli and midfielder Egidio Arevalo from Italian club Palermo.
The Uruguayan Soccer Association (AUF) released the names of other key Olympic-bound players, including forward Abel Hernandez (Palermo, Italy) and midfielders Nicolas Lodeiro (AFC Ajax, Netherlands) and Gaston Ramirez (Bologna FC, Italy).
The lineup also features defenders Sebastian Coates (Liverpool FC, England) and Matias Aguirregaray (Palermo, Italy), as well as center midfielders Jonathan Urretaviscaya (Vitoria SC, Portugal) and Tabare Viudez (C. Nacional, Uruguay).
The four backup players, as called for by the International Olympic Committee, are goalkeeper Martin Rodriguez (Montevideo Wanderers FC, Uruguay), defenders Marcelo Silva (CA Penarol, Uruguay) and Alejandro Silva (CA Fenix, Uruguay) and Federico Pintos (Defensor Sporting, Uruguay).
Tabarez, who led Uruguay to victory in the 2011 American Cup, has been training for a week with a 25-member team at the Uruguay Celeste sports complex near the capital Montevideo.
Uruguay, who brought home gold medals from the Olympics in 1924 and 1928, sits in Group A along with Britain, Senegal and the United Arab Emirates in London Games, and will start the campaign on July 26.
Squad:
Goalkeepers Martin Campana (Cerro Largo FC, Uruguay) and Leandro Gelpi (CA Penarol, Uruguay).
Defenders: Alexis Rolin (C. Nacional, Uruguay), Sebastian Coates (Liverpool FC, England), Diego Polenta (Genoa CFC, Italy), Ramon Arias (Defensor Sporting, Uruguay), Matias Aguirregaray (Palermo, Italy), Emiliano Albin (CA Penarol, Uruguay).
Midfielders: Egidio Arevalo Rios (Palermo, Italy), Diego Rodriguez (Defensor Sporting, Uruguay), Maximiliano Calzada (C. Nacional, Uruguay), Nicolas Lodeiro (AFC Ajax, Netherlands) and Gaston Ramirez (Bologna FC, Italy).
Forwards: Luis Suarez (Liverpool FC, England), Edison Cavani (SSC Napoli, Italy), Abel Hernandez (Palermo, Italy), Tabare Viudez (C. Nacional, Uruguay) and Jonathan Urretaviscaya (Vitoria SC, Portugal).
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