main

Live Blog

Spain v Paraguay: Open Thread

July 3, 2010 — by Sean41

Here comes the last game of the quarterfinals, and having seen the results be somewhat unpredictable so far, I’m going to go with what my wife tells me. She’s picked Holland and Germany already, so let’s see what she says…”I don’t know.” Well I guess we’re S.O.L. for this one.

Spain are, well, Spain. Amazing talent. Free flowing football. Danger on the field and off the bench. Paraguay are more of a mystery, mostly because they haven’t been so drooled over by the press. They have a solid center back pairing in Antonio Alcaraz and Paulo da Silva, and of course there’s Santa Cruz up front who’ll be looking to finally put a ball in the net. Not convinced? Check out this little statistical nugget :

Spain has been widely backed to win the World Cup since it won the European Championships in 2008. But that is exactly why it will fail to do so. Winning that continental competition is the kiss of death for World Cup aspirations. Only one European champion has gone on to lift the biggest prize of all – big tournament specialists Germany in 1974, and only then with home advantage.

For those of you hanging around we’ve set up the customary open thread. See you after the bump!

41 comments

  • June

    July 3, 2010 at 1:09 PM

    i haven’t really been paying attention to paraguay as much so i can’t remember how they’ve been playing. spain ramped it up a notch in their last game, but i think on the whole they’ve been looking way worse than everyone’s been giving them credit for. if they can move forward with the momentum of the previous game then they’ll probably win this one. but almost all the teams who were sluggish to start the tournament and started perking up later, have pretty much been sent home by now! i predict netherlands and germany in the finals – they’ve both looked continuously solid throughout. p.s. BE THE REDS!!!!!!!!!!

  • ryan

    July 3, 2010 at 1:28 PM

    yeah .. perhaps a european side will pull out the cup in the southern hemisphere … i could be wrong but pretty sure that’s never happened before … i think only brazil has won a cup outside their home hemisphere (i.e. north/south not east/west)

  • Sean

    July 3, 2010 at 1:37 PM

    One Mr. Karcioglu briefly pondered the undertones of a potential Dutch championship won in their old colony. Methinks it worth a full post by one of our anthro and/or soc experts…

  • Ligocki

    July 3, 2010 at 2:49 PM

    Ummm . . thank you Mr. Karcioglu?? As long as we are pondering deeper implications, you might as well explore the rebirth of the Ottoman empire, the reincarnation of Süleyman I, and the resulting impact this will have on the Turkish national team’s chances to finally NOT screw their qualifiers . . .

  • Larry

    July 3, 2010 at 2:58 PM

    Paraguay has tried the tactic from the US win over Spain in the Confed Cup last year. Pressing in the back third has certainly caused ESP their problems so far. Spain now starting to make some progress. If only they didn’t feel the need to dribble into the net. Now there’s a shot at least.

  • Larry

    July 3, 2010 at 2:59 PM

    hey, does Torres’ style of play and haircut remind anyone of Ligocki?

  • Ligocki

    July 3, 2010 at 3:01 PM

    I agree Larry – except that Paraguay is defensively much, much better than the U.S. This game looks like an offense vs. defense scrimmage

  • Sean

    July 3, 2010 at 3:03 PM

    I wonder if torres has that bellyhair arrow?

  • Larry

    July 3, 2010 at 3:04 PM

    is there a way to mute just when Harkes speaks? In the ITA/PAR match we went to, the seats we had way, way up showed how well PAR played as defensive team. They looked like a foosball team in how they moved together. But this extra pressing is why PAR started so many new players. I’m guessing we’ll see the other players in the last 20-30 mins.

  • Ligocki

    July 3, 2010 at 3:07 PM

    Sean . . nah, Spaniards don’t have the necessary testosterone to grow gut-carpet.

  • Ligocki

    July 3, 2010 at 3:12 PM

    Torres is tearing up that right side . . . If he can get even minimal support, it’s only a matter of time before he finds the net.

  • Larry

    July 3, 2010 at 3:16 PM

    Valdes should have done better there.

  • Ligocki

    July 3, 2010 at 3:18 PM

    . . a little too excited I think. Very good performance by Para thus far. Larry, I agree with your earlier comment. Spain must begin shooting from outside the 18 – if not only to spread out Para’s defense.

  • Ligocki

    July 3, 2010 at 3:38 PM

    Spain . . wait, get closer . . . no closer . . .no, even closer. . .

  • Larry

    July 3, 2010 at 3:41 PM

    and they are slowly losing their width. that has to be the 150th cross that clipped a PAR defender

  • Ligocki

    July 3, 2010 at 3:43 PM

    WHAT?!?!? What the hell is that??? Torres out?!?

  • Larry

    July 3, 2010 at 3:43 PM

    i don’t get that. isn’t time to rather abandon one of the two holding midfielders? do they really need both Alonso and Busquets out there?

  • Ligocki

    July 3, 2010 at 3:44 PM

    HOLY CRAPOLA . . .

  • Larry

    July 3, 2010 at 3:45 PM

    i hate this. there is always contact, but cardozo had no chance of reaching that ball that was 2 yards behind him

  • Larry

    July 3, 2010 at 3:45 PM

    Casillas por Presidente!

  • Ligocki

    July 3, 2010 at 3:45 PM

    Ghana – all over again

  • Ligocki

    July 3, 2010 at 3:46 PM

    Terrible penalty kick

  • Larry

    July 3, 2010 at 3:47 PM

    double holy crap

  • Ligocki

    July 3, 2010 at 3:47 PM

    OK, so this is turning farcical . . .

  • Larry

    July 3, 2010 at 3:48 PM

    this referee is a shambles

  • Sean

    July 3, 2010 at 3:48 PM

    This is incredible!!!

  • Ligocki

    July 3, 2010 at 3:49 PM

    There’s going to be a riot . . . or maybe an assassination

  • Ligocki

    July 3, 2010 at 3:50 PM

    Great save!!

  • Larry

    July 3, 2010 at 3:51 PM

    and DaSilva with the goalline clearance on the followup shot

  • Ligocki

    July 3, 2010 at 3:57 PM

    Since Torres left the game, Spain is having difficulty finding any penetration . . . bad idea manifest

  • Ligocki

    July 3, 2010 at 4:01 PM

    Good move bringing Santa Cruz into the game – speedy and might actually nick a goal . .

  • Larry

    July 3, 2010 at 4:09 PM

    thats a lot of work just to get Villa the goal

  • Ligocki

    July 3, 2010 at 4:10 PM

    Wow. For a second, I kind of thought that it was not meant to be for Spain. Finally, a finish!

  • Simon

    July 3, 2010 at 4:12 PM

    What an amazing game two missed PK’s (including one for encrochment, how often do you see that call) then inyestas run, shorts off the woodwork, and David villa calling post before he finished

  • Sean

    July 3, 2010 at 4:14 PM

    Gritty performance from Paraguay. I’m sad to seethem heading out.

  • Larry

    July 3, 2010 at 4:16 PM

    strangely weak play from casillas there

  • Ligocki

    July 3, 2010 at 4:16 PM

    COME ON PARA!!! You gotta’ put that away!!

  • Ligocki

    July 3, 2010 at 4:19 PM

    If Spain plays like this against Germany – they’re going to get crushed!!!

  • Suman

    July 3, 2010 at 4:47 PM

    I’m not so sure..has Germany played a quality, disciplined defense? Besides Serbia and Ghana, that is..games they lost and won by scores of 1-0, resp. I think it will be another 1-0 game, but could go either way..

  • ryan

    July 4, 2010 at 12:31 AM

    so i know i’m hours late on this but i had to watch the game on replay … spain DID NOT really have the run of play nor did paraguay pack it in … really a very even game … i agree with suman regarding germany … argentina defended poorly as a team … paraguay’s defense was pretty tough .. surely better than argentina’s

  • ryan

    July 4, 2010 at 12:36 AM

    also keep in mind … spain scored against a portuguese side that hadn’t given up a goal in over 100 minutes ..

Comments are closed.