Uruguay names provisional 25-man World Cup squad

For all of the incredible talent and history Brazil is responsible for fostering on the pitch, the nation has only ever hosted the World Cup once (1950).

Naturally, the Selecao and its fans were upbeat about the team's chances upon learning that it would welcome the world for the 2014 edition of the tournament.

In the background, there must also have also been some understated cheers from the Uruguayans, as they, and not the Brazilians, hold the title as the only team to ever win a World Cup played in South America's largest country.

Tuesday, manager Oscar Tabarez named the 25 players who will be in contention for a chance to repeat history, as he unveiled his provisional World Cup squad.

The strength of the group is undeniably in attack, where the high-scoring duo of Luis Suarez (31 EPL goals this season) and Edinson Cavani (16 goals in Ligue 1 this year) are complimented by veteran Diego Forlan.

The well-traveled attacker may be plying his trade in Japan nowadays, but more so than most players, seems to hit a new gear when he pulls the national team jersey over his head (see: 2010 World Cup).

Tabarez will have to hope that the attacking trident can carry the team throughout the competition, as things get considerably less stable through the rest of the roster.

While there are some exciting pieces in midfield - Nicolas Lodeiro in particular - the position is rife with players who have lost more than a couple steps since helping the team to the semifinal in South Africa four years ago.

Martin Caceres and Diego Godin remain solid options in defense, but longtime captain Diego Lugano has regressed in a big way - as 33-year-olds playing for bad teams (West Brom) tend to do. 

Can Sebastian Coates, 23, play a significant role after suffering serious knee ligament damage less than a year ago? He may have to.

Here's the full 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

Alejandro Silva (Lanus), Alvaro Gonzalez (Lazio), Alvaro Pereira (Sao Paulo), Walter Gargano (Parma), Egidio Arevalo Rios (Morelia), Diego Perez (Bologna), Sebastian Eguren (Palmeiras), 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)

Andres Scotti (Nacional), Alvaro Fernandez (Gimnasia-La Plata) and Gonzalo Castro (Real Sociedad) have been named to a stand-by list.

Uruguay will compete in Group D alongside Italy, England and Costa Rica at next month's tournament.