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Diego Forlan

RIO DE JANEIRO. — Diego Forlan isn’t ready to announce his retirement from international football, even though he knows that at his age the clock is certainly ticking.
The 35-year-old Forlan, who was voted the top player of the 2010 World Cup, played sparingly this time for Uruguay — each time as a substitute for Luis Suarez.
He played an hour in a 3-1 loss to Costa Rica in a group game when Suarez was still recovering from knee surgery, and 53 minutes in Saturday’s 2-0 second-round loss to Colombia, when Suarez was out suspended for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini.
The loss to Colombia knocked the 2010 semi-finalists out in the round of 16 in Brazil.

“I want to play football,” Forlan said. “I still love to be on the field. I know there’s going to be a generational change. That’s to be expected, and I’m 35. But I’m always willing to help and be around.”

Forlan, who played with Manchester United, Villarreal, Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan, signed an 18-month contract earlier this year with Japanese club Cerezo Osaka and is expected to fulfil it. — AFP.