"Look at all the flags and banners waving"
[pravda.sk]
According to Jindřich Krous, Paraguay is "good enough to beat even Italy ... according to Paraguayan football experts, this particular squad is the most able in the country's history, better than that of Argentina and comparable with Brazil's". The word on the street is that Group F is "easy", with "Italy seen as the strongest opponent and New Zealand as the weakest". When it comes to Slovakia, the lack of information among Paraguayan fans is evident - "hardly anyone knows the country, most people cannot distinguish it from other Slavic countries, whereas others still associate it with Czechoslovakia". Paraguayan football experts are slightly more diplomatic and warn against complacency, claiming that the group is "even".
"#1 Fan"
[bbc.co.uk]
Krous considers Paraguay to be even better than Chile and warns against two players - Salvador Cabaňas, nicknamed "Cordinho" [fattie], and Nelson Haedo, nicknamed "El tanque alemán" [the German tank]. The team has "quick and technical players and if they are doing well, they can put a lot of pressure on the opponent". Their main weakness is the occasional "lack of mental strength - if they concede the first goal, they tend to have difficulties with coming back into the game".
