Uruguay's Rodriguez praises teammates before Saudi Arabia duel

Nizhny Novgorod (Russia), June 18 (IANS) Uruguay midfielder Cristian "Cebolla" Rodriguez on Monday praised his 2018 FIFA World Cup teammates Diego Godin and Jose Maria Gimenez ahead of their duel with Saudi Arabia, their second match of the tournament.

Central defenders Godin and Gimenez proved decisive in Uruguay's 1-0 win over Egypt in their first Group A clash on Friday, reports Efe.

"They are the best central defenders in the world," Rodriguez said at a press conference for Wednesday's match, adding that they have been putting in a good performance for years.

Asked by Efe about the relatively young midfielders who started against Egypt - averaging just 22.7 years - he said: "The kids are doing a very good job."

"When they play, they show how mature they are and this is positive for the national team," the 32-year-old midfielder added.

Uruguay's new generation of starting midfielders includes Rodrigo Bentancur, Matias Vecino, Nahitan Nandez and Giorgian De Arrascaeta.