Uruguay, struggling to regain their status as a major football force, and Australia, bidding to establish themselves as one, meet tomorrow to decide who takes the 32nd and final place at next year's World Cup finals.
Uruguay need to overturn a 1-0 deficit from last Tuesday's first leg in Melbourne to qualify for their first World Cup since 1990, and deprive Australia of what would be only their second appearance at the tournament.
Tensions are high between the sides after Australia were given a hostile reception by a group of local fans at Carrasco airport on Wednesday evening.
After long inspections by customs, players were jostled and spat at as they headed from the terminal to their bus in an incident that Australia coach Frank Farina described as "disgusting".
Uruguayan officials, including their ambassador in Australia, have apologised but, since then, the angry Australians have barred local reporters from their news conferences, saying they will only venture out of their hotel for training.
Farina even contemplated taking them across the River Plate to neighbouring Argentina until Sunday but decided to stay in Montevideo after inspecting security arrangements at the team hotel.
Even Australian Prime Minister John Howard chipped in. "It was despicable, inexcusable behaviour. It reflects very badly on the Uruguayan authorities," he said.
Australia chairman Ian Knop said he had asked FIFA for a switch of venue if there was any further trouble, but the Uruguayans, while expressing dismay at the incident, implied the visitors were plotting to get the game played on neutral ground.
"Of course, they would like it to be held in a neutral venue, they would like take away our home advantage," said Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) president Eugenio Figueredo.
The match will take place in Montevideo's historic Centenario stadium, venue of the first World Cup final in 1930, when Uruguay beat Argentina 4-2, and a reminder of the home team's proud past.
Uruguay, Olympic champions in 1924 and 1928, went on to win a second World Cup in 1950 but have since endured a long and agonising decline.
In more recent World Cups, the most lasting impression left by Uruguay was their uncompromising style and they have not qualified at all since Italy in 1990, when they were beaten by the hosts in the second round.
Uruguay earned a play-off place by finishing fifth in the South American qualifying group after an inconsistent campaign in which they finished with the best defensive record - 13 goals conceded in 18 games - but managed only 19 goals.
A major boost for them is that Malaga striker Dario Silva, their leading scorer in the group with five goals, is expected to return after missing the first leg with a shoulder injury.
Defender Gonzalo Sorondo is also reported fit for the game.Alvaro Recoba, Uruguay's key player, did not train on Thursday but is certain to play.
"We are going to try to play football and I think we are going to turn this result around and go to the World Cup," said midfielder Pablo Garcia.
Coach Victor Pua, described the game as the most important of his career.
"Australia are a good team. But I think we can make up the difference and score at least one goal," he said.
Farina, meanwhile, promised his team would avoid the temptation to sit on their lead. "I think they will come at us, they have to. We'll just keep to our game plan and we won't be making the mistake of just sitting back and waiting for them, that will be fatal."
POSSIBLE TEAMS
URUGUAY: Carini, Lembo, Montero, Sorondo, Guigou, De Los Santos, Garcia, Rodriguez, Recoba, Silva, Magallanes
AUSTRALIA: Schwarzer, Muscat, Moore, Okon, Vidmar, Murphy, Emerton, Skoko, Viduka, Kewell, Lazaridis.
