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| The Road to South Africa 2010! | | | | On July 27, 1965 in Luque (Paraguay), was born Jose |
| From an Olympic perspective, Paraguay is a unique | | | | Luis Chilavert, one of Latin America's top athletes in |
| nation in the Western Hemisphere. Why? This | | | | the 1990s. During that period of time, he had a great |
| landlocked nation is famous for its competitive athletes. | | | | career as goalkeeper. He played for Velez Sarfield |
| Against all odds, by 1987, the Paraguayan tennis team | | | | (Argentina), Zaragoza (Spain) and other foreign teams. |
| made world headlines when they, led by Victor Manuel | | | | Under the leadership of Chilavert, one of the nation's |
| Pecci, defeated the United States 3-2. That day was | | | | three most popular idols, along with Pecci and Augusto |
| very special for the South American country. But | | | | Roa Bastos (novelist), Velez Sarfield won many |
| Paraguay has had other greatest performances in | | | | international titles, including the Copa Libertadores |
| sport. Without the economic power of many Olympic | | | | (1994), the Copa Interamericana (1994), the |
| nations, the FIFA 2010 World Cup will be the fourth | | | | Intercontinental Cup (1994), and the Supercopa |
| appearance in the World Cup for Paraguay, a record | | | | Sudamericana (1996). In 1995, 1997 and 1998, he was |
| in the world's developing countries. Since then this | | | | named as the world's best goalkeeper by the |
| Spanish-speaking nation has been home to many top | | | | International Federation of Football History and |
| soccer players, including Casimiro Avalos, Jose Luis | | | | Statistics (IFFHS). |
| Chilavert, Roberto Cabanas and Julio Cesar Romero. | | | | By the late 1970s, the men's soccer team placed |
| Country Profile: Paraguay | | | | second in the Youth South American Tournament. |
| Paraguay is a Spanish-speaking nation located in the | | | | Subsequently, it ranked among the top seven teams in |
| heart of South America. This landlocked country has | | | | the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Tokyo, Japan. This team |
| an area of 157,000 square miles (406,752 km) and | | | | was the nucleus of the country's team for the Mexico |
| surrounded by Bolivia to the north, by Brazil to the | | | | 1986 FIFA World Cup. |
| west, by Argentina to the east. With more than six | | | | At the FIFA 1986 World Cup in Mexico, the men's |
| million people, Paraguay - about the size of California-- | | | | football squad qualified for the semi-finals and was one |
| is among the most sparsely populated countries in the | | | | of the thirteen best teams on Earth. In the years that |
| Western Hemisphere. At the same time, it is one of | | | | followed, by 1992, the men's soccer team qualified for |
| the most ethnically homogeneous countries in the | | | | the Barcelona Summer Olympics, where it finished |
| region. Meanwhile, Asuncion is home to the country's | | | | eighth, ahead of America, Kuwait, Colombia, among |
| capital city. By the early 1810s, Paraguay became one | | | | other teams. In Spain, Paraguay was one of two |
| of the first independent nations of the world. Historically, | | | | teams that made its Olympic debut. |
| the Latin American republic was a dictatorship until | | | | By the end of the 20th century, the men's football |
| 1989 when the nation's ruler Alfredo Stroessner was | | | | team took part in the global tournament and placed |
| overthrown by Andres Rodriguez. | | | | 14th. During that event in France, they beat Nigeria (3-1) |
| World Cup Tradition | | | | and tied with Bulgaria (0-0) and Spain (0-0). In the next |
| The FIFA recognized Paraguay as a member in 1925. | | | | round, the hosts beat Paraguay 1-0. |
| In 1922 and 1929, Paraguay was runner up in the South | | | | By the early 2000s, the country, with a team that had |
| American Tournaments in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and | | | | been together over the years, picked up the ticket for |
| Buenos Aires (Argentina). In the next year, by mid-1930, | | | | the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan. |
| Paraguay was one of 13 countries to make its World | | | | During the course of the decade, it finished a surprise |
| Cup debut in Montevideo, Uruguay's capital. In this | | | | second at the 28th Summer Olympics in Greece, the |
| event, it finished eight, outpacing Romania, Belgium and | | | | nation's first Olympic medal. Subsequently, the South |
| Mexico. In the latter part of the 20th century, the men's | | | | American nation qualified for the 2006 global |
| football team competed at the IV World Cup in Brazil. | | | | tournament in Germany and placed 18th, ahead of |
| Meanwhile, it became South American champion in | | | | Poland and Croatia. In 2009, the men's football squad, |
| 1953. Between June 3 and June 29, 1958, Paraguay | | | | won the right to participate in the 2010 FIFA World |
| ranked 12th in the global tournament in Stockholm | | | | Cup. |