Preview: Paraguay v Trinidad & Tobago

Preview: Paraguay v Trinidad & Tobago   

 

Associated Press
 

 

If World Cup first-timer Trinidad & Tobago is going to advance into the round of 16, it will need to defeat Paraguay on Tuesday and get help.

 

The ``Soca Warriors`` have to defeat eliminated Paraguay in Kaiserslautern and will need England to defeat Sweden at the same time in Cologne for the tiny Caribbean nation to have a chance of advancing to the second round of the World Cup.

 

Trinidad & Tobago, the smallest nation to ever compete in the tournament with a population of barely more than 1 million, has one point in Group B, while England leads with six, Sweden has four and Paraguay has none.

 

A win over Paraguay, coupled with a Sweden loss, would put the teams in a tie with four points, but goal differential is the first tiebreaker since the teams played to a scoreless draw June 10. If the teams are tied on goal differential, then goals scored is the next tiebreaker. If that is even, a random draw will determine which team advances to the knockout stage.

 

Trinidad & Tobago fell to minus-2 in goal differential after allowing two late goals in a 2-0 loss Thursday to England, while Sweden defeated Paraguay 1-0. The results qualified England for the round of 16, although it still needs to win or tie against the Swedes to win Group B.

 

``Playing England and Sweden as the little nation that we are, we will always be ... defending for most of the game,`` Trinidad & Tobago midfielder Chris Birchall said. ``Against Paraguay ... we have to win so I think the coach will put a more attacking team out there.``

 

The ``Soca Warriors`` may need to control the tempo of the game and establish possession, as they had the ball for only 40 percent against Sweden and 38 percent against England.

 

``When the other team always has the ball, you have to move back and back and back and don`t get a lot of possibilities,`` Trinidad & Tobago manager Leo Beenhakker said. ``Our intentions are always the same. It`s to try to get in front ... as quickly as possible. If we don`t have the ball, we have to work to get it back.``

 

Possession should help Trinidad & Tobago create more than the five combined shots on goal it had in two games. It faces a Paraguay team that allowed an own goal in a 1-0 loss June 10 to England and an 89th-minute goal Thursday to lose 1-0 to Sweden.

 

``We need to finish the chances we get,`` Trinidad & Tobago forward Cornell Glen said. ``At this level, you only get two or three opportunities and you need to take advantage of those. But if you don`t have the ball, you can`t create opportunities. We need to do a better job possessing the ball.``

 

The losses to England and Sweden have already eliminated Paraguay from advancing in the World Cup after reaching the round of 16 in both 1998 and 2002. Despite the losses, the South Americans intend to leave the tournament with three points.

 

``These boys are real professionals,`` Paraguay manager Luis Fernando Suarez said. ``They are of course still sad, but their mood has improved, they have trained strongly.

 

``We are going out with a victory on Tuesday, and that means using all our best players, no substitutes. Although we didn`t reach our goal, these are players that never put their arms down and on Tuesday it will no be different.``

 

One motivated player will be captain Carlos Gamarra, who will be playing in his last game with the team after announcing his international retirement.

 

``I will not leave the pitch looking down to the ground,`` said Gamarra, who was responsible for the own goal against England. ``Me and all the boys aim at saying goodbye with a victory.``

 

Paraguay hopes to avoid joining El Salvador (1970), Zaire (1974), Canada (1986), Greece (1994), China (2002) and Saudi Arabia (2002) as teams that failed to score a goal in three group-stage losses.

 

If Paraguay is to avoid the dubious list, it will need to score on a revamped Trinidad & Tobago defense.

 

The ``Soca Warriors`` will be missing defender Cyd Gray, who has played every minute of the first two games, due to a partially torn ligament in his upper leg. Avery John, who was suspended for the contest with England after receiving a red card against Sweden, is expected take Gray`s spot at left defense.

 

The ``Soca Warriors`` may also have Marvin Andrews back after the Glasgow Rangers defender missed two matches with a knee injury.

Mexico's Borgetti to miss Portugal clash

Mexico’s Borgetti to miss Portugal clash   

 

Associated Press

 

GOETTINGEN, Germany -- Jared Borgetti will miss Mexico`s Group D finale against Portugal on Wednesday with a torn left thigh muscle, though the team hopes to have him back if it qualifies for the World Cup`s second round.

 

Borgetti missed El Tri`s scoreless draw with Angola on Friday, and trainer Milton Graniolatti said Monday that the injury had not healed enough.

 

"He cannot play for this game against Portugal," Graniolatti said after the team`s midday training session. "But there`s hope he will play in the next game."

 

Borgetti, who underwent a second MRI examination on Monday, did not attend the practice session. He did some light jogging in Sunday`s training but did not take part in scrimmages or drills.

 

The 33-year-old Bolton striker, whose 38 career international goals lead El Tri, was hurt while chasing down a loose ball early in the second half of Mexico`s 3-1 win over Iran on June 11.

 

Two other key players are also nursing minor injuries, but team physician Dr. Jose Luis Serrano said both should be ready to play against Portugal.

 

Defender Rafael Marquez, Mexico`s captain, had muscle spasms in his right thigh against Angola, and attacking midfielder Antonio Naelson - better known as Zinha - banged up his right knee in a collision during the game.

 

Marquez was also hampered a bit by fatigue, Serrano said, after going straight from FC Barcelona`s Champions League-winning campaign into preparations for the World Cup.

 

Mexico goes into Wednesday`s game with four points, second in Group D. Portugal, the group leader with six points, has beaten Angola 1-0 and Iran 2-0. Mexico could win the group by beating Portugal and would advance to the second round - against either Argentina or Holland - with a draw.

 

If Portugal wins, Mexico would still advance if Iran wins or draws against Angola. But if the Black Antelopes upset the Asian team for their first World Cup victory, they would move into a second-place tie with Mexico.

 

The first tiebreaker is goal differential, where Mexico now holds a three-goal advantage.

Parreira: Brazil don't need to 'put on a show'

Parreira: Brazil don’t need to ‘put on a show’   

 

Associated Press

 

BERGISCH GLADBACH, Germany -- Brazil`s coach doesn`t think his team needs to play beautifully to be considered a top World Cup contender.

 

"In the World Cup, to put on a show is to win," Carlos Alberto Parreira said on the Brazilian Soccer Confederation`s Web site Monday night.

 

His comments came a day after Brazil`s lackluster 2-0 victory over Australia in Group F. The defending champion - which entered the competition heavily favored to win a record sixth world title - also struggled in a 1-0 win over Croatia in its opener.

 

"We are facing opponents which play the entire team on defense, so I`m sorry, but to put on a show we would need to talk to the opponent first," Parreira said.

 

While the team`s attack has not met expectations, the coach said the quality of Brazil`s adversaries has been underestimated.

 

"When everybody said the group was easy, I chose to call it tricky, because of the threat these opponents could pose," he said.

 

But Brazil is still on track for a second consecutive title because of its defense. "The defense hasn`t allowed goals in five matches ... that needs to be praised," Parreira said. "Balance is fundamental in soccer."

 

Brazil, ranked No. 1 by FIFA, hasn`t scored as few as three goals in its first two World Cup matches since the 1990 tournament in Italy, when it was eliminated by archrival Argentina in the second round.

 

"Despite the complaints that the national team is not giving a spectacle, we showed against Australia that the team is improving," midfielder Ze Roberto said. "It`s pointless to give a spectacle and lose."

 

"We knew we would have difficulties in the initial matches," captain Cafu added. "Against Brazil, the opponents seem to play much more motivated."

 

Parreira has said he is considering resting some of Brazil`s players in its last group-stage match against Japan on Thursday, indicating he might field second-stringers to let some of the starters recover ahead of the second round.

 

Brazil had a light practice session at its new training camp in Bergisch Gladbach on Monday. The team`s starters underwent physical training in the gym, while the reserves practiced on the field.