Uruguay

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez believes his team have two key advantages in Brazil: their Confederations Cup experience there last year and the near-perfect footballing age of key players.
Luis Suarez, Uruguay's record scorer with 39 goals, and strike partner Edinson Cavani are both 27.
He would not go as far as saying that Uruguay can repeat their 1950 World Cup success in Brazil, but he would not rule out reaching the latter stages, as they did in South Africa four years ago.
Last year's Confederations Cup gave the reigning South American champions experience of the conditions teams can expect at the tournament, including climate at venues separated in some cases by thousands of kilometres.
Uruguay's World Cup exploits in Brazil 64 years ago hold great memories for Uruguay but bad memories for Brazilian fans old enough to remember the pain of losing the decider at the 1950 finals - the only other time Brazil has hosted the soccer extravaganza.
Their 2-1 victory over Brazil on July 16, 1950, known as the "Maracanazo", gave Uruguay their second title and might even give Tabarez's team an added boost in a tight group.
Continuity is the key for this Uruguayan generation, benefiting from a stable set-up under Tabarez, who has been in charge in his second spell as head coach since 2006 and will be the longest-serving coach at the finals.
Uruguay will play a similar game, based on a 4-4-2 formation, that took them to the semifinals in South Africa four years ago and is reminiscent of classic Italian teams.

STRENGTH

Lethal strike force
A strike force of Suarez, Cavani and Diego Forlan is not to be sniffed at -- especially when the latter is coming back into form.

WEAKNESS

Lack of imagination
At times, a lack of imagination in midfield can haunt them, though the resurgence of Nicolas Lodeiro and potential transfer of Gaston Ramirez are promising developments.
Sluggish back
You have to wonder about the lack of pace between the two centre-backs and also whether left-back is an issue going forward.

ONE TO WATCH

Luis Suarez
Combining game-changing brilliance with headline-grabbing controversy, Uruguay striker Luis Suarez's last World Cup was his career in microcosm.
In the space of a few weeks in South Africa four years ago, he forged a reputation as a sharp-eyed goal-getter, before joining the tournament's hall of infamy for a goalline handball that ultimately deprived opponents Ghana a place in the semifinals.

It is a pattern that has repeated throughout a footballing career where the peaks have been moments of maverick ability and ingenuity that have propelled him into the stratosphere of the game's elite.
The troughs, however, have come to define him as a player and a personality and have included two lengthy suspensions for biting, one for racist abuse and a reputation for diving that has stuck with him despite valiant efforts to shed it.
His abundant quality has never been in doubt. He has a unique ability to engineer and get the better of defenders in one-on-one situations, a deadly finish and a knack for pulling off the spectacular.

Coach: Oscar Tabarez

Oscar Washington Tabarez will be the longest-serving and oldest coach of any of the 32 men in charge of the World Cup finalists in Brazil in June.
Appointed to lead Uruguay for the second time in May 2006, the only coach who comes close to his longevity is Joachim Loew, who took over his role as Germany coach two months later. And when Tabarez leaves the job his legacy will have been to head Uruguay's most successful national team since 1970 and provide a sound platform for future generations of Uruguayan players.
The 67-year-old, nicknamed El Maestro, led Uruguay to the World Cup semifinals in 2010 and the country's record 15th Copa America crown in 2011.

Squad
Goalkeepers: Fernando Muslera (Galatasaray), Martin Silva (Vasco da Gama), Rodrigo Munoz (Libertad)
Defenders: Maximiliano Pereira (Benfica), Diego Lugano (West Bromwich Albion), Diego Godin, Jose Maria Gimenez (both Atletico Madrid), Sebastian Coates (Liverpool), Martin Caceres (Juventus), Jorge Fucile (Porto)
Midfielders: Alvaro Gonzalez (Lazio), Alvaro Pereira (Sao Paulo), Walter Gargano (Parma), Egidio Arevalo Rios (Morelia), Diego Perez (Bologna), Cristian Rodriguez (Atletico Madrid), Gaston Ramirez (Southampton), Nicolas Lodeiro (Botafogo)
Forwards: Luis Suarez (Liverpool), Edinson Cavani (Paris St Germain), Abel Hernandez (Palermo), Diego Forlan (Cerezo Osaka), Christian Stuani (Espanyol)