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'Tata' won't take chances
25/03/2008 17:28 - (SA)
Johannesburg - He is known widely as "Tata", but unlike the "Tata Ma Chance" slogan that invites pundits to try their luck in the Lotto sweepstake, Paraguay's astute, Argentine-born coach, Gerardo "Tata" Martino, is not known as a man who takes chances.
And, in keeping with his tight-fist approach and striking progress the former Newell's Old Boys captain has made since his appointment as Paraguay head coach last year, Martino promises to give nothing away in the friendly international against Bafana Bafana at Atteridgeville's Super Stadium on Wednesday night.
He has guided Paraguay to presently occupy top place in the South American Qualifying League for places in the 2010 World Cup Finals - no mean feat when you consider the two top-ranked teams in the world, Argentina and Brazil, occupy second and third places - as well as guiding his team to 26th position in Fifa's global rankings.
Martino views the Bafana game of particular significance for two reasons, firstly in that Paraguay's next South American World Cup qualifying game is against none other than formidable, five-times world champions Brazil - and secondly he wants to have a good look at South African soccer and South African conditions generally in anticipation of returning here for the World Cup in 2010.
Unhappily, the somewhat obscure Atteridgeville venue is not one Paraguay will re-visit for their likely return in 2010, but it could give Martino a taste of the climate to expect during the World Cup.
Sensational striker
He brings with him a number of notable world-class players in what is the strongest available squad Paraguay have been able to muster, notably among them Blackburn Rovers' sensational striker Roque (pronounced Rockey as in Sylvester Stallone movies) Santa Cruz, who has usurped Bafana's Benni McCarthy's status as "Scoring Prince of the Rovers".
The 26-year-old Santa Cruz, formerly of German club Bayern Munich, posseses a magnetic personality that stretches beyond his stature as a dynamic goal-scorer, with Blackburn manager and former Manchester United idol, Mark Hughes, laconically declaring: "He is bigger, stronger, faster and better looking than I ever was."
Santa Cruz, indeed, was voted the best-looking player at the 2006 World Cup in Germany and has also recorded a money-spinning CD. Clearly a man of many talents our "Rocky".
Whether he torments Bafana as he has done many teams in England's Premiership this season will depend to some considerable degree on South African captain and Blackburn team-mate Aaron Mokoena, who is likely to be designated the task of marking and stalking the Paraguayan match-winner throughout.
And while much has been made of whether Santa Cruz or McCarthy will be the decisive factor at the Super Stadium, perhaps even more important will be the manner in which the respective defences handle the opposing, potential match-winners.
Paraguay, however, are by no means a "one-man-team", with other notable players in their ranks including defenders Julio Caceres (Boca Juniors) and Denis Caniza and Carlos Bonet (Cruz Azul, Mexico), midfielder Edgar Barreto (Reggina, Italy) and strikers Nelson Haedo (Borrusia Dortmund) and Oscar Cardozo (Benfica).
The only time Bafana have played Paraguay was in the 2002 World Cup, with Quinton Fortune snatching a somewhat fortunate, but sensational late equaliser in a 2-2 draw.
And although Bafana coach Carlos Albert Parreira has proclaimed "it's time to start winning", he has chosen what appears particularly awkward customers against whom to do it.
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Rugby
