soccer ping
Head-to-heads
England and Paraguay have met each other twice before. In 1986, England won 3-0 at the second round stage of the World Cup in Mexico. Gary Lineker scored twice and Peter Beardsley got the other. In 2002, England beat Paraguay 4-0, this time in a friendly international.
Team facts - England
The 1966 World Cup winners are taking part in the World Cup for the 12th time. Four years ago England reached the quarter-finals in which they were eliminated by the eventual champions Brazil.
England have only failed to progress from the group stage on two occasions, in 1950 and 1958.
Team facts - Paraguay
This is Paraguay's seventh World Cup, and third in a row. It's the first time they've qualified for three successive World Cup finals.
Paraguay have reached the last 16 in their last three participations. After their loss to England in the quarter-finals in 1986, the South Americans fought an heroic battle with hosts France in 1998 only to fall to an extra-time 'golden goal' by Laurent Blanc. In 2002, they lost in the second round to Germany, 1-0.
Player facts - England
David Beckham, Gary Neville and Michael Owen are the most capped players in England's squad with 87, 79 and 77 caps respectively. Sol Campbell and Michael Owen can become the first English players since 1990 to have played 10 World Cup matches if they make an appearance against Paraguay. Peter Shilton is England's record holder with 17 World Cup appearances.
Theo Walcott could become the second youngest player ever at a World Cup. Should he play on 10 June, Walcott will be 17 years and 86 days old, only 45 days older than all-time record holder Norman Whiteside. If Walcott scores, he will be the youngest ever goalscorer, beating Pele's record of 17 years and 239 days.
Player facts - Paraguay
Carlos Gamarra and Roberto Acuna are Paraguay's most capped players with 106 and 93 caps respectively. The pair, along with Denis Caniza, can become the only Paraguay players to have been involved in nine World Cup matches if they make an appearance against England.
Jose Montiel can become Paraguay's youngest ever player at the World Cup. He will be 18 years and 83 days old on 10 June. Montiel can also enter the top 10 of youngest players at a World Cup.
Miscellaneous Info
England have won every match that Peter Crouch has appeared in. Since he made his debut in 2003, England have played without Wayne Rooney on 10 occasions and did not lose a single match, winning nine and drawing one.
Paraguay have received a red card in their last two World Cup matches. In their last group match in 2002 against Slovenia, Carlos Parades was sent off after 22 minutes. In the subsequent second round against Germany, Roberto Acuna received a red card in injury time.
Come on England!
I've got my England jersey on! And it's pretty fancy let me tell you ;)
Gotta say, I love the U2 spots...the ivory coast one gets the blood flowing.
All these Brits were gathered around the big TV and just as England took the field, the power went out here. You could hear the reaction all over the buiding. (I thought it was funny.)
Then the generators kicked in and we saw England score right off.
Soccer is for kids who can't hit the ball!
I'm not particularly a soccer fan. Okay, I'm not really one at all, but I have a question.
In the World Cup, does one loss eliminate the team from competition, or is there a losers' bracket where you can possibly recover and continue?
Isn't there a rodeo or a padded-suit lumber swat or a magic the Gathering tournament on ESPN 14 or something? There's nothing else on that's worth watching...
You post a thread about soccer, and for some reason some folks seem compelled to come and tell everyone they don't like soccer. Geeze, the thread title was clear enough. If the subject isn't of interest, then stay away.
Now, I'm far from a soccer "maniac" -- in fact, I know little about it. But I'm trying to learn, and am gaining an appreciation for the sport, slowly but surely. And as an Anglo-Bavarian American, I have three teams to root for.
http://football.guardian.co.uk/worldcup2006/matchreport/0,,1794604,00.html
England fail to convince
England 1 Paraguay 0
Rob Smyth
Saturday June 10, 2006
After all the talk of Sven-Goran Eriksson's brave new world, it was all horribly familiar for England in Frankfurt this afternoon. They beat Paraguay 1-0 in their opening World Cup match, but rarely can victory have been so unfulfilling.
The sapping heat was straight out of the last tournament in Korea/Japan, and so was England's dismal inability to quicken the pulse. They deserved to win, but only because Paraguay were even more incompetent.
The high temperatures made for a soporific, one-paced match which drifted lazily back and forth - or, in the second half, forth and forth towards England's goal - but that cannot excuse the appalling ball-retention of Eriksson's side. Michael Owen looked painfully rusty, exposing the preposterous folly of not picking Jermain Defoe, and apart from the excellent Joe Cole there was a predictable lack of flair. This will not have frightened Trinidad & Tobago, never mind Brazil.
It was all the more frustrating because of England's perfect start. After a build-up that felt like it had being going on for 365 days, they were in front after just 164 seconds.
Predictably, it came from a set piece. From wide on the left, David Beckham's swirling free-kick dipped late and the captain Carlos Gamarra, attempting to head clear, could only skim the ball past Justo Villar and into the bottom corner.
Villar left the field in tears two minutes later through injury, and for a while Paraguay were a shambles, performing with the befuddled timidity expected of a team from South America's second tier playing in Europe. England did not tear into them - the heat did not permit that - but instead picked their moments to strike, and exerted a quiet but decisive control during the first half.
If anything, England were almost too comfortable, but when the lively Nelson Valdez lashed a bouncing ball just wide in first-half injury time, the mood of the match changed.
Paraguay bossed possession after the break and Eriksson - dismally, predictably - shut up shop by introducing Stewart Downing for Owen after 55 minutes, with Joe Cole moving central in a 4-4-1-1. If Paraguay had any sting at all, England would have been in trouble.
They didn't. The closest they came was when Paul Robinson fumbled Carlos Banet's cross and Carlos Paredes acrobatically volleyed the loose ball into orbit.
Lampard forced two decent saves from Aldo Bobadilla from long range, but England were basically hanging on for the last 40 minutes. Just like they always do.
Eriksson talked a good game in picking Theo Walcott and standing up to Sir Alex Ferguson but, when it came to the crunch, he showed that will never change his spots.
After today's performance, few people will think his approach can take England to World Cup glory.
Let's go Tobago!! (To heck with Trinidad.)
That was an interisting first half. Love it when a team like T & T play with heart. That is what this game is all about.
I ain't a soccer fan. But anyway why is there no "United Kingdom" soccer team? Why is it only "England" instead?
Personally, I really don't give a sh-t if you guys get your jollies from this kiddie sport, more power to you. I just get sick of the semi-humans who comprise the global population outside of our borders who seem to want me to care.