PRETORIA, South Africa: Diego Forlan scored two goals to help give Uruguay a 3-0 victory over South Africa on Wednesday and push the World Cup hosts closer to becoming the first team to go out in the first round.
Forlan first scored from a deflected 25-meter (yard) shot in the 24th minute and converted a penalty in the 80th to give Uruguay its first World Cup victory since a group game at the 1990 competition.
"Obviously, as a forward I like to score goals, but the important thing is to win," Forlan said. "The team is good. We also played well against France. We’re very solid."
Alvaro Pereira added the third goal in injury time, heading the ball off his knee and into the net from Luis Suarez’s cross.
Uruguay has four points from two games in Group A and is closing in on a spot in the next round, while South Africa has one point and needs to beat France on Tuesday to have any chance of staying in the competition.
"Everything will be decided in the last game," South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira said.
"The final result leaves me very sad because it was not a true reflection of the game. Uruguay is a very good team and Forlan is a great player. He is a player who gives a headache to any defender. He scored a fantastic goal, and the first goal was the key in this game."
South Africa goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune was sent off by referee Massimo Busacca for giving away the penalty when he tripped Suarez in the area in the 79th.
"I haven’t seen it properly because there were players in front of me," Parreira said. "But the players are annoyed, very disappointed. Everyone said it was the worst referee so far. He was giving yellow cards that weren’t yellow cards.
"He doesn’t deserve to be here."
Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez said his team didn’t get any help from Busacca.
"I don’t talk about referees," he said. "I wouldn’t say that Uruguay won because of the referee. My opinion is that Uruguay deserved to win.
"We are indeed very happy. As I told my players we had to write the history during the match. The men on this team are a phenomenon in our country today.
The result is very good indeed. We are extremely happy that we have beaten a very good team who were also capable of winning. Nothing has been decided in our group but we have taken a very step forward."
For South Africa, it was a grim reminder that sheer enthusiasm doesn’t match up to well-organized play from a vastly more experienced football nation.
The game followed the pattern of this World Cup as another match of misplaced passes and defenders tightly marking forwards, stifling dribbles and shooting opportunities.
Parreira warned his players to keep a close watch on Forlan, but the Uruguayan forward found plenty of space to get free to set up the chance for himself, sending a shot which clipped South Africa captain Aaron Mokoena before dipping over Khune.
Uruguay looked more dangerous after that and Edinson Cavani turned a cross from Suarez wide of the near post before the South Americans appealed strongly for a penalty early in the second half.
Suarez was brought down by Bongani Khumalo just inside the corner of the area but referee Massimo Busacco ruled it out.
There was little for the South Africans to cheer and, when Katlego Mphela finally got clear of his markers, he tamely headed well wide of the near post in the 66th minute.
After the penalty had been given for Khune’s push on Suarez, the ‘keeper was replaced in goal by Moneeb Josephs and Steven Pienaar was the outfield player to go off, leaving the side with 10 men.
