What: FIFA 2010 World Cup
Who: Paraguay vs Japan (Last 16)
When: Tuesday 29th June, 2010, at 15:00 UK Time
Where: Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria, South Africa
South American Dominance
So far this World Cup has been most noticeable for the fact that all South American qualifiers made it to the last 16. Paraguay have shown that they are amongst the cream of South American football as they too reached the second round with little effort. Good results against reigning champions Italy and fellow knockout round qualifiers Slovakia sent them through and even a dour 0-0 with New Zealand did not deny them first place in their Group F.
Paraguay have been lit up by the likes of Enrique Vera and Nelson Valdez and have shown why they consistently qualify for the World Cup. They were unlucky in the 2006 edition to go out to Sweden and England in the group phase, but they will surely be optimistic of a memorable run this time around.
Argentine coach Gerardo Martino is one of the youngest coaches in the World Cup, but he has shown himself to be an adept tactician. He will be happy with the performances of his team so far and the former attacking midfielder will be looking to see his team progress with a little flair.
Blue Samurai Masters of their Fiefdom
Japan have been one of the teams to cause a real ruckus in the group stages. After accounting for Cameroon, they earned a creditable loss by only a single goal to Holland only to turn on the style against Denmark to earn a 3–1 win. Progression to the knockout round is something of a novelty for Japan having only once before appeared in the last 16 in 2002 on home soil. This has been seen as underachievement of sorts for one of Asia’s giants, but they have shown on their day they are a potent force.
Despite lacking a striker of any particular note, Japan have still managed to score goals with wonderkid Keisuke Honda already netting two in the group stages and Yasuhito Endo and Shinji Okazaki chipping in two more. Certainly the Japanese midfield has been a delight to watch, with the aforementioned Endo and Honda linking up well with captain Makoto Hasebe and Daisuke Matsui.
It has been somewhat of a surprise for many that coach Takeshi Okada has done so well, and some are still sceptical that he is actually having that much of an effect. However, to his credit, he has set his players out well, even breaking the trend of awarding the captaincy to the eldest player, which was up until the lead up to the World Cup, Yuji Nakazawa. Some bold moves are sure to have endeared him to most of the Japanese faithful, and a good result against Paraguay could well see him become the essence of folklore.
Recent form
Paraguay:
Italy 1–1 Paraguay (14/06; World Cup – Group F)
Slovakia 0–2 Paraguay (20/06; World Cup – Group F)
Paraguay 0–0 New Zealand (24/06; World Cup – Group F)
Japan:
Japan 1–0 (14/06; World Cup – Group E)
Holland 1–0 Japan (19/06; World Cup – Group E)
Denmark 1–3 Japan (24/06; World Cup – Group E)
Players to watch
Paraguay – Roque Santa Cruz: The Manchester City hitman is yet to hit the back of the net at this World Cup, but a man of his class can only be kept at bay for so long. Provided he starts the game, he should prove to be a constant thorn in the side of the Japanese defence, and if he plays in a front three, he could well get the time and space he needs to put Japan to the sword.
Japan – Keisuke Honda: The CSKA Moscow man has shown his credentials at this World Cup with two goals and an assist from his three games. Surely his performances rank amongst the best for an individual in South Africa so far. His attacking presence has truly lifted the weight of some of the more experienced campaigners’ shoulders and he could well prove to be the spark that could get Japan through to the next round and beyond.
Match prediction
Out of the six matches the two have played against each other, Paraguay historically have the upper hand with two wins to one. However, Japan will be buoyed by the fact that in the other three meetings, credible draws have been reached. This will prove to be a battle of flair. If Japan want to play football, which they did against Denmark, they are more than capable of taking on the world’s best. Superb passing and movement helped tear apart the Danes, and if they can convert that confidence into a performance against Paraguay, they could all but reach their coaches hope of a semi-final spot.
Paraguay however, will be favourites to take the win, and rightly so. The South Americans are well poised to make their first appearance in the quarter-finals and will not get a better chance. A draw against New Zealand will be worrying, but with Japan likely to come at the Paraguayans, the chance to counter-attack will become more likely.
In the end this will be another close contest, but Paraguay will prove too strong for the Japanese. 2-1.
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