World Cup 2010 Fans' Network preview: Slovakia v Paraguay

Slovakia, Lukas Gajdos, twitter.com/7560min After 84 games, 7,560 minutes and 17 years Slovakia finally saw their World Cup premiere. It was going to be a memorable occasion and hopes were high. Slovakia's performance in their final friendly against Costa Rica should have been a sign of things to come – the Slovaks created a lot of chances and scored three goals. Three points against the All Whites were seen as a must. But in Rustenburg we were punished. Weiss had a great game – if Stoch played too, I am convinced that Slovakia would have scored more than a goal. Jendrisek, his replacement, was invisible. Everyone expected much more from the captain Hamsik; Sestak and Vittek failed to convert chances; Durica and Strba left Reid unmarked to score that (in)famous goal. New Zealand played with heart and deserved to equalise. Regardless of their ranking, tThey are an inspiration to any team. Expected line-up (4-1-3-2) Mucha; Zabavnik, Durica, Skrtel, Cech/Pekarik; Strba; Stoch, Hamsik, Weiss; Sestak, Vittek. Paraguay, Ralph Mexico, ralphmexico.wordpress.com A ludicrous grope at fresh air by goalkeeper Villar from an Italy corner undid Paraguay in the opener, but there's no doubt they were hanging on for the last 20 minutes. Their tactic of shoeing every Italian who threatened to attack escaped censure, but rough-housing may not be as successful against the Slovaks. The incessant downpour on the night prevented flowing football, but Paraguay still strung together some nice moves – just without a cutting edge. Surely Cáceres and Riveros will boss midfield a bit better this time, and giving Santa Cruz or Cardozo a start ahead of the disappointing Barrios might add some zing to the attack. At the other end, Villar can expect a lifetime of chopping cane in the Chaco should he repeat his howler. It will be tight: my money will be on a draw. Which would suit Paraguay very nicely indeed. Expected line-up (4-4-2) Villar; Bonet, Alcaraz, Da Silva, Morel; Santana, Cáceres, Riveros, Torres; Valdez, Barrios