Football World Cup 2006 Germany

Paraguay

Paraguay

Nickname	Guaraníes and La Albirroja
Association	Asociación Paraguaya de Fútbol (Paraguayan Football Association)
Coach	Aníbal Ruiz (2002-)
Most caps	Carlos Gamarra (104)
Top scorer	José Saturnino Cardozo (24)
First international Paraguay 1 - 5 Argentina (Asunción, Paraguay; 11 March 1919)
Largest win Paraguay 7 - 0 Bolivia (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; 30 April 1949)
Worst defeat Argentina 8 - 0 Paraguay (Santiago, Chile; 20 October 1926)
World Cup
Appearances	7 (First in 1930)
Best result	Round 2, 1986, 1998, 2002
Copa América
Appearances	32 (First in 1921)
Best result	Winners, 1953 and 1979

The Paraguay national football team is the national team of Paraguay and is controlled by the Asociación Paraguaya de Fútbol.The Paraguay national football team has reached the second round of the World Cup on three occasions (in 1986, 1998 and 2002) but has never advanced beyond that stage. Paraguay's only major tournament victories have come in the Copa América, in which they triumphed in 1953 and 1979. They also won a silver medal in the football tournament at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, being defeated 1-0 by Argentina in the final. It was the first Olympic medal Paraguay ever won in any sport.

Paraguay's current squad is more well-known for its defensive skill than its ability to score goals, with players such as Denis Caniza and captain Carlos Gamarra being amongst its most prominent members. However, the future of this strategy looks questionable due to the recent international retirement of defenders Francisco Arce and Celso Ayala, and that of world-famous goalkeeper José Luis Chilavert. Several key players are now in the latter stages of their career, so Paraguay will be looking to harness talent amongst the younger generation if they are to maintain the increase in status they have achieved over the past decade. There is optimism that this can occur, as Paraguay's under-19 side won the Milk Cup in both 2002 and 2003.

World Cup record

1930 - Round 1
1934 - Did not enter
1938 - Did not enter
1950 - Round 1
1954 - Did not qualify
1958 - Round 1
1962 to 1982 - Did not qualify
1986 - Round 2
1990 - Did not qualify
1994 - Did not qualify
1998 - Round 2
2002 - Round 2
2006 - Qualified

Copa América record

Most Paraguay caps

Top Paraguay goalscorers

Famous players

Francisco Arce
Saturnino Arrúa
Celso Ayala
José Saturnino Cardozo
José Luis Chilavert
Arsenio Erico
Roberto Fernández
Carlos Gamarra
Aurelio González
Romerito
Roque Santa Cruz
Juan Bautista Villalba

Current squad

Goalkeepers

Diego Barreto
Derlis Gómez
Justo Villar

Defenders

Pedro Benítez
Juan Daniel Cáceres
Julio César Cáceres
Denis Caniza
Paulo da Silva
Carlos Gamarra
Julio Manzur
Jorge Núñez
Pedro Sarabia
Delio Toledo

Midfielders

Roberto Acuña
Edgar Barreto
Carlos Bonet
Julio dos Santos
Diego Gavilán
José Montiel
Ángel Ortíz
Carlos Paredes
Cristian Riveros
Aureliano Torres

Forwards

Fredy Bareiro
Salvador Cabañas
José Cardozo
Nelsón Cuevas
Dante López
César Ramírez
Roque Santa Cruz
Nelson Valdez

External links

• Official site of the Paraguayan Football Association
• RSSSF archive of results 1919-2004
• RSSSF archive of most capped players and highest goalscorers
• Planet World Cup archive of results in the World Cup
• Planet World Cup archive of squads in the World Cup
• Planet World Cup archive of results in the World Cup qualifiers
• Albirroja Fansite (in Spanish)
• Paraguayan Football Site (in German)

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This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.