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Hoping to improve on shortcomings from the two previous World Cups, Paraguay brings a young and fiery team into Germany this summer. Paraguay fell in the second round in both France in 1998 and in Korea in 2002. Both margins were they same, coming on the short side of 1-0 matches. Before competing in the past two tournaments, Paraguay had reached three of the first six FIFA World Cups. However, after that stretch it failed to reach the competitive field six consecutive times. It would emerge from its slump in Mexico in 1986, its last tournament since its losses in France and Korea eight and twelve years ago, respectively.
This time Paraguay will be led by Head Coach Anibal Mario Ruiz. He temporarily was given the job after Paraguay's poor showing in Korea in 2002, and then signed on permanantly in April of 2003. His team qualified for Germany by finishing tied for third with Ecuador in the South America table. In 18 matches, they ended play winning eight, with four draws and six losses. Paraguay is seeded No. 15 out of 32 teams in Germany, sitting behind both England and Sweden in Group B.
Paraguay World Cup 2006 Team Odds: Paraguay is listed in the middle of pack at 150/1 odds to win the World Cup.
Strengths: Paraguay has flourished under new coach Ruiz. He has created a team with a mix of veteran leadership and young talent. Leading his squad on the field is defensive captain Carlos Gamarra, who leads the back line. Leadership also comes in the form of midfielders Julio Dos Santos and Edgar Barreto. These two were part of the unit that finished as runners-up at the 2004 Olympic Football Tournament in Athens.
While experienced personnel heads up the back end of the starting eleven, Paraguay's front is youthful and explosive. Roque Santa Cruz and Jose Cardozo are well equipped to take on most of the focus offensively, but it is Paraguayan bright young star Nelson Haedo Valdez that will be sure to catch the eye of opposing coaches.
Weaknesses: While Paraguay has that experience to make it through to the knockout round of the tournament, history suggests that it might not make it further than that. In both the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, Paraguay lost in the second round. It would be foolish to look ahead past previous limitations, because the draw it received could turn out to be quite a challenge. England and Sweden are ranked No. 2 and No. 13 in the World, respectively, and it is impossible for three teams in Group B to advance.
The 2006 World Cup marks a new man in between the sticks for Paraguay. After having success in past World Cups with the talented Jose Luis Chilavert, Justo Villar is the man for Germany. While he has been proving himself for Ruiz's team, he has yet to play a role in this large of an event.
Paraguay World Cup 2006 Outlook: Paraguay is optimistic about its chances in Germany, but still faces a formidable task in group play. England is the heavy favorite in Group B, followed by Sweden. Head Coach Ruiz offers similar sentiments as he questions how his team will face during group play. "I think that along with Argentina, we must be in one of the toughest groups, although we won't be coming just to make up the numbers."
Paraguay World Cup 2006 Schedule (all times local):
Saturday June 10, Group B2 Paraguay v Group B1 England in Frankfurt - 15:00
Thursday Jun 15, Group B2 Paraguay v Group B4 Sweden in Berlin - 21:00
Tuesday June 20, Group B2 Paraguay v Group B3 Trinidad and Tobago in Kaiserslautern - 21:00
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