We spent the afternoon last Sunday watching the World Cup Qualifying soccer match between Paraguay and Brazil. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to find a seat, and I held my son on my shoulders for 35 minutes through the first Paraguay goal and most of the first half until we decided the discomfort of being jostled around in the packed stadium wasn’t worth it (I had visions of stampeding, panicked soccer fans milling around in my head). Instead, we went home and watched the rest of the game in front of the television. It was cool seeing the game both live and on television.
Paraguay beat the Brazilians 2-0. They were feisty and simply outplayed the Brazilians. Actually, the Paraguayans frequently beat the Brazilians whenever they meet in head-to-head matches other than World Cup matches. It’s a shame the Paraguayans can’t seem to beat Brazil in the World Cup, or Paraguay might have a few World Cup championships until its belt. Bar none, they are one of the best soccer teams from a small country in the world. It’s a shame they lost 4-2 just three days later to the cellar-dwelling Bolivians in La Paz, Bolivia. Whether it was because of the high altitude or exhaustion from expending so much adrenaline against Brazil, it’s hard to say. Paraguay is still number one in the Latin American rankings to qualify for the World Cup, and they will no doubt be present in the 2010 World Cup along with Argentina, Brazil, and perhaps Uruguay. Next up: The Argentines. Bring them on!
For the Shutterbugs: I posted some photos from the game, some of the first photos I’ve posted from Paraguay. Enjoy!
