NANNING, China, March 25-- Uruguay scored an easy 4-0 win over Thailand here on Monday to lift the China Cup for the second successive year. With coach Oscar Tabarez having picked a near full-strength side, La Celeste were overwhelming favorites to take the win, and they started the match as they meant to go on, taking an early lead through midfielder Matias Vecino's near-post header from a corner, after Gaston Pereiro had forced a save from Thailand goalkeeper Siwarak Tedsungnoen. Uruguay continued to make all the early running in the first half, with influential captain Diego Godin also venturing forward to join the attack on occasion. Thailand playmaker Chanathip Songkrasin struggled manfully to drag his team back into the game, but the gulf in class between the two sides was painfully evident, and Uruguay doubled their lead shortly before half-time. Some neat build-up play released Cristian Stuani inside the area, and the Girona striker pulled the ball back to present Pereiro with a tap-in for 2-0. The second half began in a similar vein. Siwarak was grateful to find himself clutching the ball after a Stuani effort had rebounded off the post, and any hopes Thailand may have had of reducing the arrears were extinguished just before the hour mark, when Stuani rose highest to power home another near-post header from a corner to make it 3-0. With the result now in little doubt, both teams took the opportunity to make several changes which contrived to take the sting out of the game. However, there was still time for Lucas Torreira to test Thailand's substitute keeper Chatchai Budprom with a rasping drive, and Peeradon Chamratsamee screwed a shot just wide of Uruguay keeper Fernando Muslera's post. |