World Cup Team Guide: Paraguay

Paraguay / Dave Farrar / 17 May 2010 / Leave a comment Free £25 Bet

Nelson Haedo Valdez has scored plenty of goals for Dortmund this year and could score a few more in South Africa this summer

Paraguay will go into this tournament as one of the less fashionable South American sides but don't let that put you off backing them to go through in a group with a very vulnerable favourite.

"Martino was the kind of player who made the absolute most of the ability with which he was born, and he has taken the same approach into management, ensuring that his players wring every last drop out of their talent."

Given that most people feel that Italy's progression from this group is a penalty kick, the focus has been on trying to find the team that will finish second to them, and most of the attention has centred on Paraguay.

There's good reason for this, as Gerardo Martino's team is supremely well organised, had the second best defensive record in qualifying, and beat Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Chile in the CONMEBOL group.

Martino was the kind of player who made the absolute most of the ability with which he was born, and he has taken the same approach into management, ensuring that his players wring every last drop out of their talent.

To finish only a point behind Brazil in an arduous campaign was a great achievement, and the squad will be further galvanised by the terrible case of Salvador Cabanas who was shot in the head in a nightclub in January this year. He survived the shooting and is recovering well but it's obviously far too soon for him to think about playing again just yet. Cabanas was top scorer in qualifying, and will be missed as a player, but somehow you get the feeling that the spirit which he has shown in his recovery will inspire his teammates. Even without Cabanas, they have serious attacking potential, a fact emphasised by the statistic which shows that their best-known player Roque Santa Cruz, started only 3 qualifying matches.

COACH

Gerardo Martino

Martino seems to be driven by a feeling that the bigger countries in South America get far more attention than his side, and that underdog spirit is what drives them forward. The whole thing is made spicier by the fact that Martino was briefly an Argentine international, and he would love nothing more than to get his team further than Maradona's. In fact, if he does, he'll be favourite to replace Diego.

KEY PLAYERS

Nelson Haedo Valdez

It's not just the more famous (in England) name of Roque Santa Cruz who will be relied upon to supply goals in the absence of Cabanas. Valdez scored five in qualifying, and has had an excellent season for Borussia Dortmund, scoring only five times, but working hard and creating space for others. Santa Cruz is most likely to get the headlines, but Valdez is important in making the team tick.
Justo Villar

A worthy inheritor to the crown of Jose Luis Chilavert in many way, particularly his love of taking free kicks. But goalkeeper Villar was one of the big reasons for Paraguay's outstanding defensive record in the qualifiers, and his his mixture of acrobatic brilliance and calm organisation will be much needed for the Paraguayans to make it through.

Cristian Riveros

The man from Cruz Azul was one of Paraguay's best players in qualifying, and he will look to control the way that his team plays from midfield. He's useful as a destroyer and, to a lesser extent, a creator, and scored three times in qualifying. Paraguay's problems all seem to stem from their deficiencies in midfield, and so their best player in that area is a key performer.

Recommended Bet:

Back Paraguay/Slovakia Dual Forecast @ [18.0]

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