Luis Suarez said Uruguay will "suffer until the end" despite a win over Peru sending them top of the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying group.
Edinson Cavani scored the only goal of the game as Uruguay came out 1-0 winners at the Estadio Centenario on Tuesday.
Despite having claimed just four points from their opening five games, Peru took the game to Uruguay and would have felt unlucky not to have left with at least a draw.
The win meant Uruguay moved to the summit of the 10-team group after six games, but Suarez is wary that there are many more tough matches to come.
"We are conscious that in the qualifiers there are no favourites, that every single game is complicated," the Barcelona forward told reporters in Montevideo.
"We learn that no opponent is as easy as people speculate before the game. It always happens when people label us favourites, it costs us more [to win].
"This is a demonstration that Uruguay will be suffering until the qualifying is over."
Suarez failed to get on the scoresheet but managed to set up Cavani for the winning goal and was happy to have secured four points out of a possible six after their 2-2 draw with Brazil last week.
"We tried to break the wall down with Edi, but the credit goes to him for scoring the golazo with his left foot," the 29-year-old said.
"I was a bit anxious, but I will go happier for everything we have achieved."
