Forlán tries to dig Villarreal out of an enormous hole

	Diego Forlán was a big reason Villarreal went to the Champions League semis last year, but the team is struggling this season. Bagu Blanco/Getty Images
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How do you explain Villarreal's inconsistency? Less than 12 months ago, the modest Spanish club tore up Europe, advancing all the way to the UEFA Champions League semifinals before a last-minute loss to Arsenal.

Much of that shocking run can be attributed to the extraordinary effort by Diego Forlán, a former cult hero at Manchester United whose record-breaking 25 goals for Villarreal in 2004-05 won him the European Golden Boot and again attracted interest from several of Europe's biggest clubs. Villarreal resisted the big-money temptation, and set its sights on winning a major title.

But things haven't gone exactly to plan. Forlán has struggled, while Villarreal has flirted with relegation this season. The Uruguayan star has had a late-season renaissance recently, however, helping the Yellow Submarine go undefeated in its past four matches.

A good ending to the season could send Villarreal into UEFA Cup play next season, but a lot of that will depend on Forlán, who has become an irreplaceable figure at El Madrigal.

I recently caught up with him and we talked about Villarreal's sudden revival, the highs and lows of his career and the expectations leading up to Uruguay's Copa América campaign.

SI.com: How has Villarreal managed to improve so much in the last few weeks?

Forlán: It's difficult to say because we didn't know why we were playing badly. But the good thing is that we count on a squad with plenty of quality and we knew that sooner or later things would turn out for us, now we must maintain our level.

SI.com: You scored two outstanding goals from outside the box in successive weeks. Have you been practicing from out there?

Forlán: I always liked shooting from outside the area. The thing is that when I played closer, I rarely had the opportunity to shoot, but now I move down the field a bit more to receive the ball and that gives me more opportunities to shoot.

SI.com: Juan Román Riquelme recently returned to Boca Juniors on loan. Do you miss his assists?

Forlán: Who doesn't miss him? He's a great player, and a player like him will always be missed -- even more so for a forward.

SI.com: Villarreal made some good signings this season. Why hasn't the club been able to play to its full capacity?

Forlán: Some players got injured, and that affected us a lot. We hope that now that they're better, the club will return to playing the same way it had been before.

SI.com: Many say the success of Villarreal is up to you.

Forlán: It depends on everyone. We are a team and if we all play well, it will be easier to win and to score goals.

SI.com: How good is your new signing, much-hyped 20-year-old Chilean midfielder Matías Fernández?

Forlán: I think he's a great player. He's very young and shouldn't be rushed. In Chile, there's lots of expectation for his performance and development. Hopefully they work with him with patience because he only recently arrived at a very competitive league, that isn't the same as playing in South America. But the most important thing is that he's a great player.