Paraguay’s challenge at the Copa America is not so much to win the trophy they came close to lifting in 2011 as to recover the lost strengths of a well-organised defence and incisive counter-attack.
The Paraguayans lost their way after the tournament in Argentina four years ago, where they were beaten by Uruguay in the final, having reached the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in South Africa in 2010.
Brazil 2014 was their next goal but Gerardo Martino, the architect of those achievements, quit.
Paraguay got through three coaches as they failed to find the right replacement to steer them through the qualifiers to a fifth consecutive World Cup tournament. They turned to Martino’s fellow Argentine Ramon Diaz last December and he has rebuilt Paraguay into a solid team.
Photo gallery: 12 Copa America players to watch
Diaz has mixed the experience of captain Roque Santa Cruz, record 122-cap centre-back Paulo da Silva and goalkeeper Justo Villar with talented young midfielder Oscar Romero and striker Raul Bobadilla.
A good Copa America in Chile will help them turn the page on a dismal World Cup qualifying campaign in which they finished bottom of the 10-nation South America group.
Diaz’s first results in charge in March were a 0-0 draw away to Costa Rica in San Jose and a 1-0 loss to Mexico in Kansas City in which he was satisfied with the players’ organisation and attitude, but where he identified failings in ball retention and distribution.
The team plan is in its infancy and Diaz is looking further ahead to the 2018 World Cup qualifiers this year, but a berth in the Copa quarter-finals as one of the two best third-placed teams is realistic in a group containing Argentina, Uruguay and Jamaica.
Previous appearances 34 (first in 1921)
Best performance winners twice - 1953, 1979
Fifa world ranking 85
Coach: Ramon Diaz
Diaz is in his first job as a national team coach having made a name for himself at club level, which included winning the South American Libertadores Cup with River Plate in 1996.
The Argentine was appointed in 2014 shortly after steering River, where he began a successful playing career, to the Argentine title for the sixth time in his third spell and taking his tally to seven after also winning one with San Lorenzo.
Diaz angered Paraguayan media for telling Reuters in an interview that he was basing his strategy on the team’s traditional strengths in defence and in the air, saying that building a new team for the 2018 World Cup would take time.
He has gone largely for experience in his squad picking strong, tall defenders like Mexico-based duo Paulo Da Silva, Paraguay’s most capped player with 118, and Pablo Aguilar.
Striker Roque Santa Cruz, the country’s top scorer with 30 goals,hs been selected to lead an attack that includes Nelson Haedo Valdez and Lucas Barrios, also veterans of the side that reached the 2010 World Cup quarter-finals.
Key player: Nestor Ortigoza
Argentine-born Ortigoza is typical of the modern Paraguay midfielder with his command of the centre of the field, good marking and judicial ball distribution. He is also an accomplished penalty taker.
He has spent all his playing career in Argentina, apart from the 2012/13 season with Emirates Club in the UAE, the highlight being victory in the Libertadores Cup with San Lorenzo last year, scoring the deciding goal with a penalty.
The 30-year-old obtained Paraguayan citizenship in time to play in the 2010 World Cup side that reached the quarter-finals for the first time and the 2011 Copa America final in Argentina.
Ortigoza will be looking to help Paraguay overcome the disappointment of failing to reach last year’s World Cup finals in Brazil with a good showing in Chile in a group containing favourites Argentina and title holders Uruguay.
Squad
Goalkeepers Justo Villar (Colo Colo), Antony Silva (Independiente Medellin), Alfredo Aguilar (Guarani)
Defenders Paulo Da Silva (Toluca), Pablo Aguilar (America), Fabian Balbuena (Libertad), Marcos Caceres (Newell's Old Boys), Bruno Valdez (Cerro Porteno), Ivan Piris (Udinese), Miguel Samudio (America)
Midfielders Victor Caceres (Flamengo), Nestor Ortigoza (San Lorenzo), Osvaldo Martinez (America), Richard Ortiz (Toluca), Osmar Molinas (Libertad), Eduardo Aranda (Olimpia), Oscar Romero (Racing Club)
Forwards Roque Santa Cruz (Cruz Azul), Nelson Haedo Valdez (Eintracht Frankfurt), Raul Bobadilla (Augsburg), Lucas Barrios (Montpellier), Edgar Benitez (Toluca), Derlis Gonzalez (Basel)
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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What is Genes in Space?
Genes in Space is an annual competition first launched by the UAE Space Agency, The National and Boeing in 2015.
It challenges school pupils to design experiments to be conducted in space and it aims to encourage future talent for the UAE’s fledgling space industry. It is the first of its kind in the UAE and, as well as encouraging talent, it also aims to raise interest and awareness among the general population about space exploration.
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
Indika
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AIR
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Sun jukebox
Rufus Thomas, Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (1953)
This rip-off of Leiber/Stoller’s early rock stomper brought a lawsuit against Phillips and necessitated Presley’s premature sale to RCA.
Elvis Presley, Mystery Train (1955)
The B-side of Presley’s final single for Sun bops with a drummer-less groove.
Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, Folsom Prison Blues (1955)
Originally recorded for Sun, Cash’s signature tune was performed for inmates of the titular prison 13 years later.
Carl Perkins, Blue Suede Shoes (1956)
Within a month of Sun’s February release Elvis had his version out on RCA.
Roy Orbison, Ooby Dooby (1956)
An essential piece of irreverent juvenilia from Orbison.
Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)
Lee’s trademark anthem is one of the era’s best-remembered – and best-selling – songs.
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE