Diego Forlan Q&A: England ‘were afraid’ of Luis Suarez

Speaking with Andy Mitten following Uruguay's win over England on Thursday, Diego Forlan said 'I think England were afraid' of Luis Suarez 'because they knew what he's done while playing in England'.

Diego Forlan warms up before Uruguay's 2014 World Cup Group D match with England on Thursday. Luis Acosta / AFP / June 19, 2014

Question: What does victory mean for Uruguay?

Answer: It was really important for us. We needed to win a very difficult game. So did England. There wasn't a big difference between the teams, they both has good spells during the game, but we took our chances.

Q: When did you know Luis Suarez was going to play?

A: He's been in full training for a couple of days and been training well. Of course he's not 100 per cent fit. You can't be when you've not played a game for six weeks. But the goals against England will be a massive boost for him. That will give him confidence. A confident Luis is better for him and it's better for Uruguay as we look at qualifying from the group.

Q: Was he the difference between the two teams in Sao Paulo?

A: He got three good chances. The first, he scored. The second one, he hit wide. A fit Luis would have scored that. And the third one, he scored to win the game. He never stopped fighting. That’s Luis. He’s never changed, not since I first saw him as a 17-year-old. I think England were afraid of him because they knew what he’s done while playing in England.

Q: His partnership with Cavani worked.

A: They played really well together against England. They linked well, especially for the first goal where Edi crossed for Luis. We're lucky to have two players like that because right now they're as good as any other two forwards playing in this competition.

Q: Did you not wish you were put there with them?

A: Of course, but look who I'm competing with. I'm 35 now. I'm in good shape, I can do a job for Uruguay. I started the first game and worked hard. A competition like the World Cup finals isn't just about one player, it's about using the squad. I'm not the player I was four years ago (when Forlan was the player of the tournament and joint top scorer), but tell me a 35-year-old striker who is. I'm delighted to have played 112 times for my country.

Q: What did you think of England?

A: They had some chances at the beginning of the game and they have some attackers with pace, but our defence played really well. We kept them at a distance, we fought for everything. When we scored before half-time, I think that hit England very hard. It was a big blow for them. It knocked their confidence and England didn't start well in the second half. We had many chances to score, but it stayed 1-0. England survived and got an equaliser, but then Luis scored again.

Q: A lot of English people are disappointed in their national side.

A: They watch one of the best leagues in the world and I think it's natural for them to have high expectations. They probably feel that they should be one of the best national sides. They have some good young players like Sterling and Sturridge. They could do really well.

Q: What did your coach Tabarez say to you before the game?

A: The usual. Play well, work hard. We trust him, he trusts us. We've been on a long journey together with many ups and downs. We've missed out on automatic qualification to the World Cup finals, we've reached the World Cup semi-finals. Mentally, I think the team was well prepared against England after the defeat to Costa Rica.

Q: How did that opening day hit you?

A: It was a shock. We didn't expect it. We started well and played OK in the first half, but not the second. The ball wasn't played to players like it should have been, the rhythm wasn't there. We stopped playing and fell apart and conceded three goals. Everyone was angry after the match and the players spoke, had strong words. This is normal. But we picked ourselves up and beat England - a huge victory. Now we must go into the game against Italy with the same attitude and with Luis being closer to full fitness.

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