?Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez believed that his side deserved a better fate than a 3-2 loss to Germany in the third place playoff of the 2010 World Cup here on Saturday.

Thomas Mueller found the net first for Germany in the 19th minute before Edinson Cavani put in the equaliser nine minutes later, and Uruguay even went ahead with Diego Forlan scoring a volley in the 51st minute.

But the Germans quickly hit back with Marcell Jansen in the 56th minute and snatched the victory with a looping header from Sami Khedira in the 82nd minute.

Furlan, who hit the cross bar in the dying seconds, also became the joint top scorer with five goals at the tournament.

"We achieved an equal game against a real power," Tabarez was quoted as saying to La Observa after the game. "We could have won because in the game they were not superior to us."

The coach is also optimistic about the future, saying the "surprise" package of the World Cup finals can be the "beginning" of a great era for his side.

"We're not that far away, the route has been marked. We must learn from this (World Cup)," he explained.

Uruguay's fourth placed finish eclipses any effort made at the Finals by a Celeste side since 1970 and matches their best ever position when competing outside of the American landmass.