Paraguay head into their clash with Slovakia in Bloemfontein on Sunday knowing a win would take them to the brink of qualification for the second round.
All the teams in Group F are currently level-pegging but the South American side have their toughest game out of the way — at least on paper — with a 1-1 draw against defending world champions Italy in their Cape Town opener.
While Slovakia also picked up a point, in Rustenburg, the eastern European outfit were shell-shocked after conceding a last-gasp equaliser against group outsiders New Zealand. The South Americans came into the tournament in great shape after beating Brazil and Argentina in qualifying and will fancy their chances of reaching the last 16 after holding Italy.
Argentinian coach Gerardo Martino said taking a point from Italy gave the team a boost but said Paraguay needed to “improve on our possession and how we move the ball.”
The South Americans are in their fourth straight finals with much of the credit given to Martino, who has managed to negotiate a delicate transition phase for his team but they have never progressed beyond the second round.
Paraguay have a strong set of strikers, with Martino opting to pair Lucas Barrios and Nelson Valdez for the Italy tie while Roque Santa Cruz came on as a second-half substitute. — AFP