Marked for Thiago Casco
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad11 Oct 2027
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Tembetary this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad11 Oct 2027
Words at Tembetary training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Orlando Benítez is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
The dugout11 Oct 2027
Every manager keeps a short list in his head of the men he wants on the pitch when the stakes rise, and it is never published. The team sheets for the big afternoons say Néstor Esteche is on it.
The dugout11 Oct 2027
The manager makes an example of Thiago Casco
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
The dugout11 Oct 2027
Richar Candia knocks on the manager's door
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Tembetary, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Squad11 Oct 2027
“I want to play”: Thiago Casco speaks
“I respect the manager and I am not going to sit here and pretend I am happy.” It is the most common sentence in football and it has never once been the end of a story.
Back issues
From our football correspondent
Steady
The dugout9 Aug 2027
“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” Tembetary may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.
Squad9 Aug 2027
Bryan Bentaberry and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
Squad9 Aug 2027
Words at Tembetary training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Miguel Busto is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market2 Aug 2027
Miguel Busto hands in a written request
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Tembetary can pretend not to have heard.
The dugout2 Aug 2027
“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” Tembetary may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.
Squad2 Aug 2027
Words exchanged at Tembetary
Bryan Bentaberry and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Squad2 Aug 2027
Words at Tembetary training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Jorge Colmán is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
The dugout2 Aug 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad2 Aug 2027
“Some decisions take a long time. This one took ten minutes, and most of that was finding a pen.” Thiago Casco and Tembetary agree another 4 years.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Squad5 Apr 2027
Words exchanged at Tembetary
Bryan Bentaberry and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Match3 Apr 2027
Olimpia left with the points after a 0‑1 defeat that will take some explaining on the terraces.
The dugout5 Apr 2027
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Fabricio Brener, and the manager let it.
The dugout5 Apr 2027
The view from the dugout
“We will look at it, we will learn from it, and we go again.” The three sentences every manager keeps for a 0‑1 defeat, delivered by Gustavo Cardozo to a room that had heard them before.
The dugout5 Apr 2027
Somebody else has been better, the manager has said so with a team sheet, and there is no argument to be had. He will get the shirt back the only way it can be got back.
Squad5 Apr 2027
Tembetary will explain it as a decision about the team, and it may well be one. A dressing room has never once read it that way.
The dugout5 Apr 2027
Néstor Esteche asks for a word with the manager
“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
Looking ahead5 Apr 2027
Nacional next, and one man in the Tembetary dressing room knows their training ground better than his own. The reception will tell him what they thought of him.
Player ratings5 Apr 2027
Successful dribbles: 10. He went past people as if he had been told there was a prize for it, and by the end the full-back had stopped pretending to try.