República del Paraguay
Asociación Paraguaya de Futbol 1893
Coach: Gerardo Martino.
Confederation: CONMEBOL
FIFA Ranking (Nov 09): 30
Previous Appearances: 7 (1930, 1950, 1958, 1986, 1998, 2002, 2006)
Paraguay v Italy 14 June; Cape Town
Paraguay v Slovakia 20 June; Bloemfontein
Paraguay v New Zealand 24 June; Polokwane
Coach
Gerardo Martino
Record
1930, 1950, 1958, 2006 First Round; 1986, 1998, 2002 Second Round
Background
Paraguay is a passionate football country with a long tradition of the game. South Africa 2010 will be the eighth World Cup for them and the fourth in a row. However, La Albirroja have nothing much to show case for all that. The last 16 has been their maximum take. They have of course done well elsewhere, a silver medal at the Athens Olympics of 2004 and three Copa America.
The road to the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals
Paraguay along with Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia and Peru, competed for World Cup slots a league on home and away basis. This meant a phenomenal 18 round competition.
Paraguay kicked off with a goalless draw away to Peru, on the 13th of October 2007. But Round 2 was better with a 1-0 win against Uruguay. Next came the 5-1 thrashing of Ecuador and four days later they demolished Chile 3-0 da Silva scoring a double.
The brilliant run of La Albirroja continued even after the seven months break and humbled the Brazilians 2-0 at home, Santa Cruz, and Cabañas scoring against the giants. But the no lose streak was broken by Bolivia, Paraguay going down 2-4. A self goal by Argentina in the next fixture helped Paraguay to grab a point. Then there was a string of wins, aginst Venezuela (2-0), Colombia (1-0) and Peru (1-0).
The dream run was however, halted by Uruguay 2-0 away from home. A 1-1draw followed when Paraguay travelled to Ecuador. Now it was their turn to lose and the first came at the hands of Chile (0-2) and then the Brazilian revenge (1-2). Not disheartened La Albirroja bounced back into contention for the automatic slot defeating Bolivia by a Cabanas goal and Argentina by a Valdez strike into the net. A 2-1 away victory over Venezuela clinched the coveted World Cup ticket. In the last and 18th round Paraguay didn’t seem to bother any more and lost 2-0. The Paraguayans qualified with 33 points, 5 points ahead of fourth place Argentina. Brazil topped the pool with 34. Chile, with 33 came second on better goal difference.
Strengths
Stronger the opposition, better Paraguay play. Conceding just 16 goals in 18 qualification games, Paraguay has once again confirmed that defence is its main strength. They have a potentially dangerous aerial game and are adept in counter attack, which catches the opposition on the wrong foot.
Weaknesses
Unlike most of the international teams, football is not a possession play for Paraguay. Passing bouts are not for them. They wait for the ball to come to them and then they go all out on the attack. The other side of it is that those teams that keep possession and play a passing game will be at great advantage.
The Coach
A tactician and strategist, Gerardo Martino has a strict work ethic which saw him succeed with many of his club assignments. The Argentine coach has gone about the same way with the Paraguayan team. 4-4-2 is the general formation he deploys, but is not rigid about it.
Star Men
Oscar Cardozo;
A favourite of the galleries wherever he plays, this Benefica striker has the wonderful ability to produce a goal from nowhere.
Nelson Haedo Valdez (Borussia Dortmund);
Valdez has a different approach to the game from that of Cabanas. He is courageous and not averse to taking a few risks if the situation demands it. He is fleet footed and has a great header, besides being technically savvy.
Cristian Riveros (Cruz Azul);
He is a creative midfielder, who marks well and makes generous passes to his forward line. Riveros has excellent technique and maintains great accuracy in passing.
Roque Santa Cruz:;
Santa Cruz has over 60 appearances for the national team and has scored 20 goals. He is a great hope for Paraguay at the 2010 World Cup.
Claudio Morel Rodríguez:;
The mainstay of Paraguay’s defence, he has made more than 40 appearances in internationals. He plays for Boca Juniors and was named the 2008 Paraguayan Footballer of the Year.
Best Footballing Moment
The two victories in the Copa America, the first in 1953 beating Brazil and the next in 1979, beating Chile.
World Cup Objective
The stumbling block has been the pre-quarters and Paraguay would aim to beat the jinx and reach the last eight.
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