SA Blog Number 22: World Cup Preview - Paraguay
8th June 2010
‘Los Guaraníes’ World Cup preparations suffered a critical blow in January when Salvador Cabanas was shot in the head in a Mexican bar and subsequently ruled out of the tournament. Coach Gerardo Martino had less than six months and five friendly games to devise an alternative strategy in an attempt to replace his star player. Cabanas was more than just a striker: as well as being their leading scorer in qualifying, he also dropped deep, providing a classy link between midfield and attack - offering increased security when defending and maintaining a real threat in the final third.
The glaring void in his absence is probably Martino’s biggest concern ahead of the tournament and the coach will look to Sunderland-bound Cristian Riveros to plug the gap. The only Paraguayan midfielder to get his name on the scoresheet throughout qualification, Martino is well aware of the 27-year-old’s importance to his side this summer. “He’s fundamental to us,” admits the coach. “He can carry out all the functions in midfield, but his goalscoring is vital to us.”
Martino – a renowned attacking coach and never one for the pragmatism displayed by a number of his modern day counterparts - could still be tempted to sacrifice something in midfield to replace the invention Cabanas offered. Benfica goal machine Oscar Cardozo (who, admittedly, has struggled for his country); Manchester City’s Roque Santa Cruz; proven impact sub Edgar Benitez of Mexican club Pachuca; Nelson Haedo Valdez of Dortmund in Germany, and recent recruit Lucas Barrios, who has now averaged a goal a game for the South Americans, all offer the Argentine a number of options.
Furthermore, he has included an interesting rookie in his 23-man squad: 21-year-old Rodolfo Gamarra. The Libertad wonderkid has made tremendous progress this season, particularly in the Copa Libertadores, and he offers his coach an interesting tactical option with his ability to drop deep and work the flanks.
With the wealth of striking talent available to him, it will be interesting to see if Martino abandons his tried and tested 4-4-2 which served him so well during a healthy qualifying campaign that saw them finish just one point behind group winners Brazil.
If overcome by his natural instinct to play attacking football, he may throw caution to the wind and go with three up top. With right-back Dario Veron more comfortable at centre-back, the veteran has been known to squeeze inside and form a central defensive trio with Julio Cesar Caceres and Paulo Da Silva, with Enrique Vera and Claudio Morel Rodriguez becoming wing-backs to free left-sided midfielder Riveros to work behind the front two. Look out for this transformation if Paraguay find themselves desperately seeking a goal or two. In that event, Roque Santa Cruz could also be asked to take up a that role behind the striking duo. Though whoever is eventually entrusted to that position will face the daunting task of replicating the form of an almost irreplaceable Cabanas.
Probable line-up: Villar; Veron; Caceres; da Silva; Morel Rodriguez; Vera; Barreto; Santana; Riveros; Santa Cruz; Haedo Valdez.
Brian Maxwell & Rupert Fryer, SouthAmericanFootball.co.uk
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kirk
:::2010-06-08 18:45:56
Another interesting blog from the saf team. I really think Paraguay will top the group.
Chaz, NYC
:::2010-06-08 23:36:46
I think it’s outrageous that Coach Gerardo Martino “subsequently ruled” Salvador Cabanas “out of the tournament” after his injury in the Mexican bar.
Crazy stuff has happened to lots of my friends in Mexican bars, especially in Tijuana. Mike was scratching himself for weeks after a visit “upstairs” in Mamacita’s Casa D’Amour…Yet he was still our goalkeeper!
Imagine if Ivory Coast didn’t let Drogba back on the side, or the US barred Jozy from returning to action after his injury? They say Robben was limping after scoring 4 braces in ten minutes against Hungary…Has HE been “subsequently ruled out of the tournament”
by the Dutch? I think not! Just put a plaster on it and play!
Rocco (The Football Express)
:::2010-06-09 00:18:02
Paraguay look like a steady side in qualification and warm ups, I have to admit that I was besotted with Chilavert purely because of his set piece taking. It´s something that we never see in Europe, bit of a shame really.
Do you think that Barrios will be starting? I would assume that he will be the ´prima punta´ with Santa Cruz just off of him perhaps?
Brian Maxwell - saf.co.uk
:::2010-06-09 20:09:53
Chilavert is the reason I follow Velez Sarsfield closely. What a player he was.
On Barrios, it´s looking more and more likely he will start. As you rightly said, Santa Cruz will drop deeper to fill the void left by Cabanas.
The system works so well because of the solidity they have, and Barrios´ prescence up front, where he occupies both defenders, is a massive positive for Martino. He now can maintain the basics of the system that got them there, and play Santa Cruz as the support striker with their midfield able to play a higher line.
I remember Barrios playing for Colo-Colo in the Copa Libertadores last year against Palmeiras, and he ripped them to shreds away at the Palestra Italia, winning 3-1. He´s an absolute handful.
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