Paraguay: Hopes rest with “German” strikers

“The team is the star” – if that piece of wisdom has ever been apt, then Paraguay fits the bill. There are no outstanding players in the team of the “Albirroja”, so called for their red and white striped shirts. But in spite of that fact, the small country sandwiched between neighbouring soccer giants Brazil and Argentina has established itself as the “third football power” on the continent.

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The “Guaraníes”, as the six million Paraguayans call themselves after their native forebears, progressed with ease through the long, 18-match World Cup qualifications, leaving higher rated teams such as Uruguay and Colombia trailing behind. The team had guaranteed direct qualification by the third day of competition among the ten participating nations. In the end they achieved their seventh World Cup participation, and the third in a row.

In 1930, 1950 and 1958 the selected squad of the Paraguay Football Association APF (Asociación Paraguaya de Fútbol) was eliminated in the preliminary round; but in 1986 (3-0 defeat by England), 1998 (1-0 defeat after extra time by France) and 2002 (1-0 defeat by Germany) they did at least advance into the first knock-out stages. The best results for the Albirroja date back some time. In 1953 and 1979 the team won the Copa América, the South American Championship. But as outsiders they attracted recent attention at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens by winning the silver medal.

Since then coach Aníbal Ruiz, 62, nicknamed “El Maño” and always at loggerheads with both fans and media, has been in a comparatively safe position. According to football president Oscar Harrison he will remain in charge of the team at the World Cup in Germany. “He did a really good job”, said the powerful football boss. Thus the Uruguayan is faring better than his fellow-countryman Sergio Markarian four years earlier: he was replaced by Italian star coach Cesare Maldini for the World Cup finals in Japan and South Korea – but without success. The father of Milan captain Paolo Maldini was sacked immediately.

Since then Ruiz has been responsible, relying almost completely on the professed virtues of Paraguayan football – passion, fighting spirit and continuity,  with the latter helped by 12 of his current squad playing at the 2002 World Cup. This strategy, despite obvious success, enrages Paraguay’s goalkeeping legend José Luis Chilavert, who retired in 2002: “After the 2002 World Cup the need for change has been ignored. The clock is ticking against us”.

His long-time team-mate Carlos Gamarrais has been a recognised thorn in the side of Chilavert, who became a world-famous free-kick specialist. Gamarrais, the captain and record international (96 caps) has played rarely for his club Inter Milan in the past two years, but has a regular place in the national team. The 34-year-old moved to FC Palmeiras in Brazil in the summer of 2005. “He should no longer be in the national team”, suggests Chilavert. The conceding of 23 goals in the qualifiers is enough proof for this criticism of the defence. The only reliable player in this part of the team is cautious goalkeeper Justo Villar, 28, of Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina. Gamarrais’ inside defending partner Julio Cesar Caceres, 26, of Atletico Mineiro (Brazil) is considered somewhat careless, as is outside defender Delio Toledo, 29, of Real Saragossa.

But in attack the “Albirroja” players offer hope. In midfield the European legionnaires Roberto Acuña (33, Deportivo de La Coruña) and Carlos Paredes (29, Reggina Calcio) call the tune, assisted by the two promising talents, Julio dos Santos, 22, and Edgar Barreto, 21, who plays with NEC Nijmegen in the Netherlands. Both youngsters performed outstandingly and played a major role in the surprise progress to the 2004 Olympic Games final.

Ruiz’ best and most famous players earn their money in the German Bundesliga: the strikers Roque Santa Cruz, 24, of Bayern Munich, and Nelson Haedo Valdez, 22, of Werder Bremen. The Bayern attacker enjoys an almost cult status among the fans since he scored the winner in the first ever victory (1-0) over Argentina in the history of the “eliminación sudamericana”. “Due to his technical capabilities and great qualities with his head, Roque is a key player for my team”, Anibal Ruiz says. The hardest blow came with the bad news of the major injury sustained by Santa Cruz in the Bundesliga match at Cologne on October 29, 2005. The diagnosis was a ruptured crucial ligament, meaning six months out of the game. It’s in the hands of the gods whether the lanky striker, who scored four goals in the qualifiers, will be fit in time for the World Cup. “He is young, he can make it”, Ruiz tries to convince the player and himself.

Thus the hopes rest with Nelson Valdez, who is on the verge of becoming a regular player in Bremen. To him the “Night of Maracaibo” remains unforgettable, when he scored the winner in Venezuela on October 8, 2005, which ensured the ticket to the World Cup and heaped him with enthusiastic praise from the media. “I am overjoyed that we have reached our goal”, Valdez said after his outstanding performance. “Paraguay has an excellent team. We are capable of doing well next year”, the young star believes.

Should Santa Cruz not be fit in time, Valdez’s attacking partner will certainly be José Cardozo. The almost 35-year-old, South America’s 2002 “Footballer of the Year”, second-best goalscorer behind Ronaldo (10) in the South America qualifications with seven goals, and also second-best scorer with five goals at the 2004 Olympics, has recently spent more and more time on the bench. The short 1.73m tall power player started his career with FC St. Gallen in Switzerland, and then played with Deportico Toluca in Mexico for 10 years. He is now with Argentine club San Lorenzo. Ruiz has two further aces with Nelson Cuevas (25, River Plate Buenos Aires) and Fredy Bareiro (23, Saturn Ramenskoje, Russia)

In spite of missing consistency in their performances, coach Ruiz is confident: “If we get the time to work, this team can achieve big things”. To make it all come true, they must first conquer their weaknesses in away matches, for outside their home stadium “De los Defensores del Chaco“ in Asunción the Albirroja appear half the team, well emphasised by the eight meagre points achieved in the qualifying away fixtures.