| Player | Position | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Aldo Bobadilla | Goalkeeper | Libertad |
| Derlis Gomez | Goalkeeper | Sportivo Luqueno |
| Justo Villar | Goalkeeper | Newell's Old Boys (Argentina) |
| Julio Cesar Caceres | Defender | River Plate (Argentina) |
| Denis Caniza | Defender | Cruz Azul (Mexico) |
| Paulo Da Silva | Defender | Toluca (Mexico) |
| Carlos Gamarra | Defender | Palmeiras (Brazil) |
| Julio Manzur | Defender | Santos (Brazil) |
| Jorge Nunez | Defender | Estudiantes (Argentina) |
| Delio Toledo | Defender | Real Zaragoza (Spain) |
| Roberto Acuna | Midfielder | Deportivo La Coruna (Spain) |
| Edgar Barreto | Midfielder | NEC Nijmegen (Netherlands) |
| Carlos Bonet | Midfielder | Libertad |
| Julio Dos Santos | Midfielder | Bayern Munich (Germany) |
| Diego Gavilan | Midfielder | Newell's Old Boys (Argentina) |
| Jose Montiel | Midfielder | Olimpia |
| Carlos Paredes | Midfielder | Reggina (Italy) |
| Christian Riveros | Midfielder | Libertad |
| Salvador Cabanas | Forward | Jaguares (Mexico) |
| Jose Cardozo | Forward | unattached |
| Nelson Cuevas | Forward | Pachuca (Mexico) |
| Roque Santa Cruz | Forward | Bayern Munich (Germany) |
| Nelson Valdez | Forward | Werder Bremen (Germany) |
| Head Coach: | Anibal Ruiz | |
Scouting Report
Style of play: Paraguay uses a zonal 4-4-2 setup where each player sticks to his area of the field and the defenders tend to their marking duties - although the two outside fullbacks, Denis Caniza and Delio Toledo, will push forward in support of the attack depending on the situation. Otherwise, the back line of defenders will stick close to home and won't take chances. Paraguay builds its attack through a concentrated passing game, so you won't see many players going on forward probing runs. The two central midfielders, Carlos Paredes and Paulo Da Silva, act as a shield in front of the defence, while Edgar Barreto and Diego Gavilan play out on the wings but push in when needed. Roque Santa Cruz and Nelson Valdez form the partnership up front, but both strikers will drop back to pick up the ball and create their own scoring chances. The midfielders will often play high balls up to Santa Cruz, taking advantage of the lanky striker's height.
Probable starting lineup (4-4-2): (GK) Justo Villar - (D) Julio Cesar Caceres, Carlos Gamarra, Denis Caniza, Delio Toledo - (M) Carlos Paredes, Edgar Barreto, Paulo Da Silva, Diego Gavilan - (F) Roque Santa Cruz, Nelson Valdez
Strengths:
Spirit - Paraguay is a rejuvenated team since veteran Uruguayan coach
Anibal Ruiz took over in 2002. He's put together a team that mixes experienced
veterans with exciting young players who play with a great deal of determination
and grit. Paraguay demonstrates great solidarity on the field, with players
always looking to help another. This is a side that embodies the word "team."
Attacking options - Paraguay can score goals, and plenty of them, thanks
to a dangerous array of attacking players. Roque Santa Cruz is an elegant
and creative forward, while veteran Jose Cardozo was the country's top scorer
in qualification with seven goals. Carlos Paredes and Julio Dos Santos are
just two of the exciting youngsters in midfield that Paraguay can count on
to score.
Set pieces - Paraguay does a masterful job of scoring goals and creating
chances from set pieces. And they have plenty of players that can shoot and
score from range on a free kick, most notably young midfielder Julio Dos Santos.
Opposing teams that are slow to set up their defensive wall on dead ball situations
could find themselves outwitted by the crafty Paraguayans.
Weaknesses:
Tough group - Paraguay should have no problem against World Cup debutantes
Trinidad and Tobago but will have its work cut out against England and Sweden.
History has shown that Paraguay struggles against teams from Europe: they've
won just one of eight games in the last three World Cups against European
nations.
Defence - Paraguay conceded 23 goals in 18 qualifying games, hardly
a defensive record to be proud of. Team captain and centre fullback Carlos
Gamarra is 35 years old and is charged with holding together a defence that
all too often breaks under pressure. The retirement of defenders Francisco
Arce and Celso Ayala leaves Paraguay short of experience at the back.
Inconsistency - Paraguay blows hot and cold. While it did manage to
defeat fellow World Cup teams Argentina and Ecuador in qualification round,
it also lost to lowly Peru and Bolivia. Paraguay cannot afford to become mired
in its trademark lapses of mediocrity in Germany, especially in a group that
includes European powers England and Sweden.
Players to watch:
Roque Santa Cruz - A tall, lanky striker with a deft scoring touch who
is capable of burning opposing defenders with his sudden bursts of speed.
Santa Cruz, a regular starter with German club Bayern Munich, uses his height
to great effect in the air, but his fitness is a question after undergoing
a recent knee operation.
Carlos Gamarra - The retirement of defenders Francisco Arce and Celso
Ayala means all the pressure will be on team captain Carlos Gamarra to hold
things together in defence. The veteran centre fullback reads the game well
and is known for his solid positioning, timely tackling and leadership on
the field.
Carlos Paredes - Paredes is at the heart of the action in midfield,
possessing good stamina and pace, and is comfortable carrying the ball out
of his own end. A star with Reggina in Serie A, Italy's first division, Paredes
combines solid tackling with excellent passing skills. A real workhorse.
Key injuries/omissions: Teenage midfielder Jose Montiel was one of
several of young players selected by coach Anibal Ruiz. Other youngsters included
midfielder Julio dos Santos, forward Nelson Valdez and midfielders Edgar Barreto
and Cristian Riveros. Ruiz called up veterans Roberto Acuna and Jose Cardozo,
even though neither has played very well at the club level as of late. The
selection of Cardozo, who was just let go by his club in Argentina, is a bit
strange as most expected coach Ruiz to pick striker Cesar Ramirez, instead.
Forward Roque Santa Cruz is suffering tendinitis to his right knee. The Bayern
Munich striker missed most of the recent German Bundesliga season after undergoing
an operation on the knee and is a bit of a question mark.
Prognosis: Paraguay has made it to the second round the last three
times it qualified for the World Cup (1986, 1998 and 2002). It is certainly
capable of finishing second in Group B, but it won't be easy. It's first two
games are against England and Sweden, two tough European opponents, and Paraguay
would need to walk away with at least two points from those contests to even
have a chance of making it out of the first round. Paraguay's defence has
some serious holes and its back line of stoppers will struggle to contain
the likes of England's Michael Owen and Sweden's Zlatan Ibrahimoic. While
a talented side, Paraguay doesn't have the quality to match the English and
Swedes and will be left battling Trinidad and Tobago for third place in the
group.
Road to the World Cup
Current FIFA Ranking: # 33
1st round matches:
June 10 vs. England in Frankfurt
June 15 vs. Sweden in Berlin
June 20 vs. Trinidad and Tobago in Kaiserslautern
2006 qualification route: Paraguay finished in fourth place in South
America (28 points) behind Brazil and Argentina (34 points each) and Ecuador
(28 points).
Qualifying record: 18 games played, 8 wins, 4 draws, 6 losses
Goals for: 23 Goals against: 23
Top goal-scorer in qualifying: Jose Cardozo (7)
Qualifying results: (home team listed first)
Sept. 6, 2003 - Peru 4, Paraguay 1
Sept. 10, 2003 - Paraguay 4, Uruguay 1
Nov. 15, 2003 - Paraguay 2, Ecuador 1
Nov. 18, 2003 - Chile 0, Paraguay 1
March 31, 2004 - Paraguay 0, Brazil 0
June 1, 2004 - Bolivia 2, Paraguay 1
June 6, 2004 - Argentina 0, Paraguay 0
Sept. 5, 2004 - Paraguay 1, Venezuela 0
Oct. 9, 2004 - Colombia 1, Paraguay 1
Oct. 13, 2005 - Paraguay 1, Peru 1
Nov. 17, 2005 - Uruguay 1, Paraguay 0
March 27, 2005 - Ecuador 5, Paraguay 2
March 30, 2005 - Paraguay 2, Chile 1
June 5, 2005 - Brazil 4, Paraguay 1
June 8, 2005 - Paraguay 4, Bolivia 1
Sept. 3, 2005 - Paraguay 1, Argentina 0
Oct. 8, 2005 - Venezuela 0, Paraguay 1
Oct. 12, 2005 - Paraguay 0, Colombia 1
World Cup History
FIFA member since: 1921
Team nickname: Guaranies and La Albirroja
All-time caps leader: Carlos Gamarra (104)
All-time leading scorer: Jose Cardozo (24 goals)
Number of Previous World Cup Appearances: 6
All-time record: 19 games played, 5 wins, 7 draws, 7 losses
Goals for: 25 Goals against: 34
World Cup History:
1930 - First Round
1934 - Did not enter
1938 - Did not enter
1950 - First Round
1954 - Did not qualify
1958 - First Round
1962 to 1982 - Did not qualify
1986 - Second Round
1990 - Did not qualify
1994 - Did not qualify
1998 - Second Round
2002 - Second Round
Biggest victory: 3-1 vs. Nigeria in 1998 and 3-1 vs. Slovenia in 2002
Biggest defeat: 7-3 vs. France in 1958.
Overall top scorer: Seven players tied with 2 goals
Most appearances: Four players tied with 8 games
Hosted the World Cup: Never
Past Achievements:
Copa America Champions: 1953, 1979
Olympic Silver Medal: 2004
Greatest Players:
Saturnino Arrua: A star striker for South American club Cerro Porteno
in the 1970s. Arrua was the top goal scorer in Paraguay's first division three
times and scored 13 goals for Paraguay in 26 games from 1969-80.
Jose Luis Chilavert: Paraguay's long-serving goalkeeper who was also renowned for scoring goals from free kicks. Chilavert played 74 times for Paraguay and scored an incredible eight goals in international play. He was voted South American player of the year in 1996.