World cup 2010 news

Well, that’s not entirely true, but there have been some unfavorable results for World Cup teams in the last couple of days, namely Portugal’s inability to beat Cape Verde (you can laugh), South Africa’s continued inability to beat anyone decent (you can’t), Takeshi Okada’s inability to resign and five World Cup teams running out a 0-4-2 record on Tuesday. Zero wins. These are supposed to be the best 32 teams in the world, correct? (Ireland is throwing something at the window.)

Of course there are a few good reasons: fatigue with European seasons ending along with coaches trialing formations, bubble players and new pregame hype music. Still, nothing can make up for coming into the tournament on a rousing run of form.

Quickies after the jump.

Greece 2 – North Korea 2

Not much is known about North Korea as a whole, but plenty is known about Kawasaki Frontale’s prolific hit man, Jong Tae Se. That knowledge centers mostly around him being the business, and Greece got a first hand taste yesterday with two sublime goals on neutral soil in Austria. Geniunely, he’s legit.

Greece also got two goals off set-pieces. Leave your stereotypes at the door.

Ireland 2 – Paraguay 1

In fairness, Ireland is a World Cup caliber team, the game was played in Dublin and reports say Paraguay “dominated possession”. However, and it’s a huge however, these now leaves Paraguay at…

Chile 2-1 L
Qatar 2-0 L
Netherlands 0-0
South Africa 0-0
North Korea 1-0 W
Ireland 2-1 L

…in friendlies since qualification ended. Having sent this to NASA for analysis, they’ve returned with the verdict: 1-2-3 ain’t good. Particularly not when that one win came via a dodgy penalty – it would be suspicious, but nothing’s ever suspicious when North Korea is involved. Hooray for stereotypes.

In other, blunt words: Paraguay needs to get its shit together. The good news is Lucas Barrios did score fresh off earning a passport, so there is hope.

Nigeria 0 – Saudi Arabia 0, Georgia 0 – Cameroon 0

There are no highlights available as of yet, so you’ll just have to imagine the listless draws – one Lars Lagerback’s Nigeria debut – being played in your head. And…1…2…3…nap.

US 2 – Czech Republic 4

(Better video if/when – and if someone could locate the time machine for the soundtrack, that’d be peaches.)

Hey! Goals!

The battle of the B teams, those of the US and Czechoslovakia, in the states didn’t go particularly well in the rematch from ‘06, but at least the US wasn’t on the wrong side of a Tomas Rosicky highlight. Connecticut hookers are another matter. Bob Bradley and Co. have declared they’ll name their 23 later today, but they may want to sleep on it another day or several.

The Republic of Ireland topped FIFA World Cup finalists Paraguay 2-1 on Tuesday, but debutante Lucas Barrios scored for the South Americans.

Paraguay’s World Cup 2010 will be the story of three strikers: the perpetually injured golden boy Roque Santa Cruz, the tragically absent Salvador Cabanas and his surprise replacement, Lucas Barrios.

Cabanas was one of Paraguay’s key players throughout qualifying, leading the team in scoring and providing a fighting mentality atop the line. Unfortunately, not long after qualifying ended he was shot in the head in a Mexico City bar and though his life was saved, his World Cup, and perhaps playing career, wasn’t. This means Santa Cruz, Paraguay’s golden boy and a phenomenally gifted striker who’s been healthy enough to score more than 5 goals only once in his career (at 19), will need to avoid the inevitable injuries until mid-July. Or maybe it’ll be Barrios, the man who some were calling for Diego Maradona to bring to South Africa, but instead will be going with his mother’s Paraguay.

Whatever the case, Paraguay certainly won’t be lacking for inspiration.


Nickname: La Albirroja (White and red)

FIFA World Ranking as of April 28th 2010: 30th

Group F Matches:

Italy v Paraguay, June 14th, 8:30p, Cape Town
Slovakia v Paraguay, June 20th, 1:30p, Bloemfontein
Paraguay v New Zealand, June 24th, 4p, Polokwane

Buy your Paraguay World Cup tickets here.

Kit: True to their nickname: white and red.



Buy your Paraguay kits here.

Coach: Gerardo Martino. Outside of a brief spell in Spain as a player, Martino’s entire career has been spent in South America, not giving him the global profile some coaches will enjoy. However, what he’s done with Paraguay has been nothing short of outstanding in his three years, taking to tops in qualifying before ultimately falling one point short of Brazil. They’ve drawn the short stick in the bracket, with Italy, Netherlands, Brazil and Spain looming, but if anyone can break Paraguay’s second round curse, it might be Gerardo.

Key Players: They want not for attacking talent, even if it’s not entirely productive: Roque Santa Cruz has scored 7 goals since his total of 19 three years and is the footballing lemon – always liable to break down – while Oscar Cardozo can’t buy goals for Paraguay even though he can’t stop scoring for Benfica. Luckily there is the Borussia Dortmund duo of Lucas Barrios, who scored 19 himself this year, and Nelson Valdez, and even though the former has stolen headlines, the latter will likely see the significant minutes.

Even though he hails from the Marcelo Bielsa football school, Martino’s mainly preferred a 4-4-2 with a comparatively unheralded Jonathan Santana, Victor Caceres, Cristian Riveros and Edgar Barreto across the pitch. And in the back, experience is the name of the game, if they can remember it, since the four plus keeper who were run out in qualifying - Dario Veron, Paulo da Silva, Julio Cesar Caceres, Claudio Morel Rodriguez and Justo Villa – are all on the other side of 30.

Player with best YouTube video: There’s really only one answer: Lucas Barrios. Borussia famously signed him after watching some YouTubers, and we can only assume Paraguay did the same.*

* – Dismiss the fact that Paraguayan head honchos likely saw him once or twice while keeping tabs on Nelson Valdez.

Player with best name: You know, as much pub as he gets for his status, Roque Santa Cruz just rolls off the tongue like some cheesy romance novel lothario, doesn’t it?

Don’t answer that.

Player with best nickname: Dario Veron for Hechicero, The Wizard, simply because it’s inspiration to defenders the world over – not all wizards are #10’s.

Qualification: They coasted near the top for awhile, beating Dunga’s Brazil and Diegos’ Argentina in the process, but settled out tied with Chile on points in second, one point from the top.

Interesting: Their World Cup preparations got off to a potentially ominous start when $100k was stolen from their French hotel. It’s the black cat of World Cup training camp.

(No, this isn’t quite as interesting to them.)

National Anthem: Paraguayos, República o Muerte (Paraguayans, Republic or Death)

World Cup History:

Expectations: Paraguay are likely the favorites to finish just behind Italy, but some might be sleeping on Slovakia, who played awfully well away from home in qualifying(played well at home too), so it’s a proper two team battle for second, with the winner likely to face the Netherlands. Paraguay might expect the knockouts, but anything after that will be a bonus.

Squad: Paraguay World Cup squad.

Blog: Victor runs the point at the Paraguay World Cup Blog.

- More World Cup 2010 Team Profiles.

Monaco striker Park Chu-Young is to return home to Korea Republic for treatment on a thigh injury he suffered in last week's French Cup final loss to PSG.

Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino on Tuesday called up Borussia Dortmund striker and freshly nationalised Argentine Lucas Barrios as he unveiled his preliminary FIFA World Cup squad.