SOUTH KOREA: PARAGUAY TRAIN FOR OPENING WORLD CUP MATCH AGAINST SOUTH AFRICA

Record ID: 639526

  • Title: SOUTH KOREA: PARAGUAY TRAIN FOR OPENING WORLD CUP MATCH AGAINST SOUTH AFRICA
  • Date: 1st June 2002
  • Summary: PUSAN JUNE 1 2002 (REUTERS) TEAM TRAINING WITH REPLACEMENT GOAL KEEPER (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) TEAM COACH CESARE MALDINI AT NEWS CONFERENCE SAYS: "We are prepared menytally and physyically tho win the match." (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MALDINI SAYS: "Even with our new goal keeper we'll use the same tactics and system the other goalkeeper has more experience but Tavarelli is also a good goalkeeper." (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) STRIKER ROQUE SANTA CRUZ SAYS: "It's my first World Cup I've prepared a lot. I'm here to win and I expect good results." Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 16th June 2002 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: PUSAN, SOUTH KOREA
  • Country: South Korea
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA9O5A4QOZL8YM980MOZZ6G3QDI
  • Story Text: Although confident, Paraguay go into their opening World Cup game against South Africa on Sunday without their first choice goal keeper and continuing doubts about the fitness of midfielders Carlos Paredes and Roberto Acuna.
    Paredes, who scored in Paraguay's 2-1 warm-up win over fellow finalists Sweden, is receiving treatment for a minor calf strain while Acuna is troubled by a niggling knee injury picked up during the squad's week-long training camp in Japan.
    But coach Cesare Maldini brushed the concerns aside on Saturday (June 1) telling reporters after the squad had trained at Pusan's Asiad Stadium tghat his team was ready to win.
    Maldini said he was hopeful that both would recover in time to play against South Africa.
    Maldini confirmed goalkeeper Ricardo Tavarelli would definitely take his place in the side, despite the 31-year-old damaging an index finger in saving a powerfully struck free kick from Jose Luis Chilavert in training on Thursday.
    Tavarelli, who sported heavy strapping on the injured finger of his left hand at Saturday's news conference, is standing in for the suspended Jose Luis Chilavert, who completes the last of a three-match ban.
    Despite one or two injury headaches, Maldini pronounced himself happy with Paraguay's World Cup preparations.
    "We are ready to play. We have studied videos of the South African team and we know they have some strong players," he said.
    "But we are also are a good side and we have worked very hard in training."
    Bayern Munich striker Roque Santa Cruz was also in an optimistic frame of mind saying he expected positive results.
    This will be Paraguay's sixth World Cup finals and their second in a row. They bowed out in the second round to France four years ago and their previous best effort came in 1986 when they also reached the second round, before losing 3-0 to England.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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