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Paraguay
Four years ago, Paraguay came as close as anyone to beating eventual world champion France, losing only on a golden goal by Laurent Blanc. The heart and soul of that team was an inspirational defensive line, led by goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert and central defender Carlos Gamarra. The same two men are expected to be influential this time around, except now the side has some flair as well, with Roque Santa Cruz leading a dangerous attack.
However, will six months be enough time for new manager Cesare Maldini to learn about his players and design a successful tactical scheme?
As the countdown to the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan continues, CNNSI.com's Pedro Pinto will take a close look at all of the nations that will contend for football's greatest prize.
Pinto is an anchor on World Sport, the international sports show that airs live on CNN/Sports Illustrated and CNN International.
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Paraguay had a memorable qualifying campaign, for all the good and bad reasons. It beat Brazil for the first time ever and it was the only country not to lose to Argentina. But manager Sergio Makarian was fired after the side lost its final two matches to Venezuela and Colombia, so which is the real Paraguay? Will this inconsistency carry over to the finals?
The Paraguayan federation hopes not; that's why they hired Maldini to take over as coach. The Italian's skills will be tested as he takes on a new team at a crucial time. His first mission is to restore the team's defense. Traditionally stingy, the Paraguayan back line let in 23 goals in 18 qualifiers.
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Roque Santa Cruz. The Bayern Munich striker has found it hard to make regular first-team appearances in Germany because he has Elber, Carsten Jancker, Claudio Pizarro and Paulo Sergio to fight off for a striking role. But there are many reasons why Bayern manager Ottmar Hitzfeld keeps him around. Santa Cruz is fast, skillfull and good in the air. Paraguay has to get the best out of its talented front man if it is going to go anywhere in the competition. No one doubts their defensive attributes; the question is, can they score goals? And Santa Cruz has to be the man to answer that particular question.
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Lack of creativity. Paraguay has an industrious five-man midfield, with Carlos Paredes, Acuna and Victor Quintana battling for every ball. The problem is that they really don't have a designated "No. 10" to link the play with attack. Jose Santurino Cardozo normally occupies that slot, but he is a natural striker, so tends to stay up front a bit too much. Santa Cruz needs ammunition if he is going to be firing in the goals, and Maldini needs to find someone who can consistently do it.
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Jose Luis Chilavert. The controversial goalkeeper is definitely the inspiration for the Paraguayan team. The problem is that he won't be able to play in the opening two games of the World Cup. He received a suspension from FIFA for spitting at Roberto Carlos in a qualifier. Can he lead his troops from the sidelines, or will the team already be eliminated when he returns to action in the third game?
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Paraguay finished fourth in the South American qualifying section, with the same points as third-placed Brazil. It played 18 games, winning nine, drawing three and losing six. The Paraguayans scored 29 goals and gave up 23.
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Paraguay will be making its sixth appearance in the finals of the World Cup. Its best finish was a ninth place back in 1930. It has played a total of 15 World Cup games, winning four, drawing six and losing five.
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Paraguay has the pieces to put together a solid run in the finals. I can definitely see them making the second round, which would be an achievement for them. Maldini has the experience and knowledge to build a compact unit that will frustrate opponents. He will make their defense good again, I have no doubts. Can he find a supplier to Santa Cruz, though?
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