Saints star's World Cup boost (From Daily Echo)

Saints star's World Cup boost

10:26pm Wednesday 14th November 2012 in Saints News

Gaston Ramirez played the second half of Uruguay’s 3-1 friendly victory in Poland last night.

Saints’ club record signing was brought on at the interval for Edinson Cavani, who had put the visitors 2-0 up after Kamil Glik’s early own-goal.

Ludovic Obraniak did pull one back for Poland shortly after the hour mark, but Liverpool’s Luis Suarez restored Uruguay’s two-goal lead almost immediately.

Elsewhere, Saints defender Maya Yoshida helped Japan move to the brink of qualification for the 2014 World Cup.

The centre half played the entire game, as Alberto Zaccheroni’s side won 2-1 in Oman thanks to Shinji Okazaki’s last-minute winner.

Japan top their group, in the Asian section, with 13 points from five matches and are on course to secure an early passage to Brazil in two years’ time.

Also in World Cup qualifying action was midfielder Steven Davis, who skippered Northern Ireland to a 1-1 draw against Azerbaijan at Windsor Park.

Despite creating a raft of chances, the hosts needed an injury-time equaliser from substitute David Healy to salvage a point, further denting the already slim hopes they had of advancing.

Saints forward Emmanuel Mayuka was in action as well, helping reigning African champions Zambia record a 1-0 win over South Africa in the traditional Nelson Mandela Challenge fixture, in Soweto.

The players will now return to Southampton to be assessed ahead of Saturday’s trip to QPR.