Spain are still smarting from the mildly surprising defeat to Nigeria in their opening game in Nantes. Nevertheless, qualification still looks likely, providing they can maintain the quality of their performance against Nigeria when they take on Paraguay this evening.
Spain manager Javier Clemente was distinctly upbeat about his team's performance against Nigeria and rightly so. The game was the best of the competition and, apart from a blinding error by the goalkeeper Zubizarretta, they did everything right.
Clemente is expected to name the same team for tonight's game, provided that Miguel Nadal recovers from a knock which yesterday looked more serious than first diagnosed. Nadal will be replaced by Alberto Celades if he fails a fitness test.
Midfielder Luis Enrique has recovered from a muscle strain and will play.
The outcome of the midfield battle may hinge on who emerges the victor out of the duel between the wily Enrique and Paraguay's Roberto "Toro" Acuna, who plays for Spain's Zaragoza.
Paraguay coach Carpegiani pinpoints Francisco Arce, expected to return on the right of the defence, as their key man to steady the ship. "Arce is fundamental to our plan as he breaks things up and holds the line superbly," he said yesterday. There is pressure from the Spanish media on Clemente to pick the young Real Madrid star Fernando Morientes. Madrid's ABC newspaper was moved to state that "Clemente stinks", while El Mundo was equally dismissive with its headline: "Hopes flushed down the toilet by Clemente."
The Paraguayans have problems with their central defender Celso Ayala. The River Plate defender suffers from chronic lumbago and yesterday team officials were travelling to Paris to plead with FIFA for permission for the player to take medications on the FIFA banned list. If Ayala doesn't play, veteran Catalino Rivarola is expected to come in.
Arce's return will be a help but Paraguay still pine for a cure for their chronic scoring ratio.
Spain find themselves in the unexpected position of going into their game against Paraguay with fewer points then their less fancied rivals, who played out a dour draw with Bulgaria in their opening game. The evidence of the opening round, however, suggests that all the attacking aces are in Spanish hands and that, allied to Clemente's usual caution, should be enough to sustain them.
Probable Teams
Paraguay: Chilavert, Arce, Saravia, Gamarra, Caniza, Ayala, Acuna, Enciso, Benitez, Rojas, Campos. Spain: Zubizarreta, Sergi, Abelardo, Hierro, Alkorta, Luis Enrique, Amor, Celades, Alfonso, Kiko, Raul, Morientes, Julen Guerrero.
Referee: Ian McLeod (South Africa).
Key Player: Jose Luis Chilavert
Age: 33. Club: Velez Sarsfield Caps: 40. Goals: 4
One of the star turns of any World Cup competition is any mildly eccentric South American goalkeeper whom we can christen El Loco. Step forward then, Jose Luis, free-kick taker extraordinaire and the most physical net-minder in the game today. His career has been a splendid interweaving of suspensions, bans and highlights. Has been banned for assaulting players and assaulting officials. His influence is such, however, that when he was banned for four games during the qualifiers his team lost three of them.
Strengths: Brash, confident, commanding. The soul of the team. Weaknesses: Not as agile as he once was and domestic critics argue his profile exceeds his excellence these days.
