Estonia beat Uruguay 2-0 in chilly friendly

TALLINN, March 25, 2011 (AFP) - Minnows Estonia beat big name visitors Uruguay 2-0 in a friendly here Friday, as snow fell and temperatures in the Baltic nation plunged below zero.

After a clean sheet for both sides in the first half, Estonian midfielder Konstantin Vassiljev opened the scoring after 61 minutes and just four minutes later striker Vjatseslav Zahovaiko added a second for the hosts.

Snow and icy temperatures are nothing unusual in March in Estonia. There was a light snow shower during the match and temperatures had dropped to minus six Celsius by the final whistle.

"For those of our players who play in Europe, the climate in Estonia is nothing really extraordinary, but I am not used to such weather," Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez said.

"But the conditions were the same for both teams, so we can't make excuses. The Estonians used their chances better," he said.
  

Mihkel Uiboleht, spokesman of the Estonian Football Association, told reporters the visitors had been unassuming.

"The Uruguay team did not ask for anything special, just for water, fruit, coffee and tea before the game and 10 pizzas with Mozzarella afterwards, all ordinary requests," he said.

Estonia agreed to pay 60,000 euros to bring the Latin Americans to the Baltic state for the two nations' first-ever footballing encounter, he added.

Estonia are limbering up for next Tuesday's Euro 2012 qualifier against Serbia in Tallinn.

They stand a surprise third in Group C behind leaders Italy and second-ranked Slovenia, and ahead of Northern Ireland, Serbia and last-placed Faroe Islands.
Estonia - Uruguay 2 - 0

Goals: Estonia: Vassiljev (62), Zahovaiko (66)

Stadium: Le Coq Arena (Tallinn)

Attendance: 7.000

Referee: Anti Munnuka (FIN)

Cautions: Estonia: Kink (68)

Estonia: Sergei Pareiko - Taavi Rahn, Enar Jaager, Andrei Sidorenkov, Dmitri Kruglov (Tarmo King 63) - Raio Piroja, Aleksandr Dmitrijev (Andres Oper 78), Ats Purje (Sander Puri 58), Martin Vunk - Jarmo Ahjupera (Vjatseslav Zahovaiko 56), Kaimar Saag (Konstantin Vassiljev 57). Coach: Tarmo Ruutli

Uruguay: Juan Castillo - Diego Lugano, Maxi Pereira, Mauricio Victorino, Jorge Fucile (Andrés Scotti 68) - Diego Pérez (Sebastián Eguren 68), Egidio Arévalo Ríos, Gastón Ramírez (Álvaro Pereira 55) - Abel Hernández, Sebastián Abreu (Sebastián Fernández 68), Diego Forlán. Coach: Óscar Tabárez

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