Uruguay has a massive football history. Have to agree with Seb. Can't fault us for trying, but we're talking about a completely footballing nation that massively overachieves at WCs. If you park the bus you can squeeze out draws and low scoring defeats, if you try counter attacking sometimes it really really doesn't come off.
Agree with ex-Pat. I remember a friend telling me about his football team in Liverpool for Primary school. I remember the team at our primary was 14 kids for 11 places. At his in 300 kids show up for 11 places. The competition is better and the leniency for mistakes is lower earlier.
Same way that all the Indian cricket superstars developed not necessarily from academies and the like, but from massive competition just to get a game when they were kids.