Paraguay’s World Cup Prospects

With all the talk in South America centered around Argentina and Brazil as World Cup favorites, and Trinidad and Tobago as World Cup newcomers, poor Paraguay is frequently overlooked. Paraguay is going to its third straight finals, and they have made it to the second round in the previous two, however they are ranked 30th in the world. Can they make some noise in Germany this summer? Unlikely, but if they do, that means that their would be upsets paralleling the stunning defeat of the countries best college basketball team by LSU last night. Paraguay’s first round match ups include England, Sweden, and Trinidad and Tobago which means that they are in an unfortunate group with two European powerhouses, and a sleeper team who has given the eventual champions, the U.S., some close contested matches. The prospects for Paraguay seem dim but they are lead by a veteran central defender and captain, Carlos Gamarra, and a solid defensive unit, which could give England’s crushing offense a good game. Paraguay’s offense is much younger and a little less stable but they have amazing talent, with Roque Santa Cruz, the Italian Serie A star, who if healthy is a serious threat to any defense. Interestingly enough, Paraguay frequently plays very well against Latin American and Spanish speaking teams because, as quoted from the BBC, they speak to each other in Guarani, thereby confusing their opponents.