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WC 2006 Match Chat: Sweden vs. Paraguay, noon PT
2006-06-15 11:31
by Bob Timmermann

Live from Berlin!

Both teams had miserable opening matches. Paraguay gave up an own goal and lost to England, 1-0. Sweden couldn't beat Trinidad & Tobago, even though they had a man advantage for most of the second half. Not to mention that they were playing Trinidad & Tobago, the smallest country to ever qualify for the World Cup.

If Sweden gets a win, they will be sitting pretty. If Paraguay gets a win, it will be a scramble for the second spot in the group. The Swedes finish up against England on Tuesday in Cologne, while Paraguay would play Trinidad & Tobago at the same time in Kaiserslautern. England is already through to the second round and will face either Germany or Ecuador.

National Anthems:

Sweden, Du gamla, Du fria

Paraguay, Paraguayos, República o Muerte. Just when you think this one is over, there's another 3-5 minutes more.

According to wikipedia, the same guy wrote the lyrics to the national anthems of Paraguay and Uruguay, Francisco Acuña de Figueroa. Apparently he specialized in countries that ended in "-guay".

Comments (59)
Show/Hide Comments 1-50
2006-06-15 12:02:34
1.   Bob Timmermann
So which sounds more Swedish?

Sweden or Suecia?

2006-06-15 12:11:59
2.   Kayaker7
My wife's Swedish pen pal writes it as "Sverige."
2006-06-15 12:14:44
3.   Ken Arneson
Neither sounds particularly Swedish to me. Given those choices, I'd say "Sweden", although the Swedish alphabet doesn't have a 'w'. They consider 'w' to be identical to 'v'.
2006-06-15 12:14:49
4.   Bob Timmermann
I would hope so.
2006-06-15 12:16:08
5.   Greg Brock
Ever since that guy faked the fifth golden ticket, I can't bring myself to route for Paraguay...Well that, and the whole Nazi thing.
2006-06-15 12:16:40
6.   Greg Brock
whoops, root.
2006-06-15 12:16:46
7.   Ken Arneson
Man, Sweden is playing really well. Someone should tell them what end result they're trying to achieve.
2006-06-15 12:20:09
8.   Bob Timmermann
I was expecting someone to bring up the War of the Triple Alliance!

Paraguay took on Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay all at the same time.

They lost.

Coincidentally, the three countries that gave Paraguay its beatdown in the 19th country have gone on to win NINE World Cups.

2006-06-15 12:24:07
9.   Greg Brock
They didn't just lose. If that war was a soccer match, the score was 11-0, and the entire midfield was carted off on stretchers...And they didn't come back on.
2006-06-15 12:24:27
10.   Ken Arneson
Paraguay has settled down a bit.
2006-06-15 12:31:29
11.   Penarol1916
9. Actually, I would call it an 11-5 loss as Paraguay was very strong in the early going, but once they starting losing, they just didn't know when to stop, and just kept going until every man in the country was dead.
2006-06-15 12:37:04
12.   Bob Timmermann
Paraguay also fought in the last declared war between two American countries. The Chaco War of the 1930s.

That one is very high on the list of pointless wars.

2006-06-15 12:38:34
13.   Kayaker7
What does the gray card next to the name on the matchcast mean?
2006-06-15 12:40:27
14.   Greg Brock
11 I was thinking more along the lines of finality, but you are very correct.

Does The Chaco War beat the Falklands/Malvinas war?

2006-06-15 12:41:00
15.   Kayaker7
14 Soccer War anyone?
2006-06-15 12:41:05
16.   Ken Arneson
13 If he gets a yellow, he'll be ineligible for the next match.
2006-06-15 12:41:19
17.   Bob Timmermann
The gray card means the guy got a yellow in an earlier match and if he gets another, he has to sit out the next match.
2006-06-15 12:41:58
18.   Kayaker7
Ooh, in stereo. Thanks, guys.
2006-06-15 12:42:30
19.   Ken Arneson
This is looking like one of those baseball games where the pitcher struggles in the first inning, and if you don't score then, you'll regret it.
2006-06-15 12:43:22
20.   Bob Timmermann
The Chaco War lasted several years.

The "Soccer War" was a brief skirmish.

The Falklands/Malvinas War was also pretty pointless.

2006-06-15 12:44:26
21.   Ken Arneson
Ljungberg is really playing well today.
2006-06-15 12:45:58
22.   Kayaker7
21 Isn't there a babe on the Swedish women's team by the same name?
2006-06-15 12:47:29
23.   Greg Brock
21 I wonder if he's related to Bill Ljungberg.....Ummmmmmmmm yeaaaaahhhhhh.
2006-06-15 12:47:40
24.   Penarol1916
I'd call the Chaco War the most pointless, the Gran Chaco is the most desolate place I have ever seen, and it's not like there is any minderal wealth to be gained either, I'm convinced it was only fought so that at least one of the two countries could say that they won a war.
2006-06-15 12:48:33
25.   Kayaker7
24 Even the name of the war sounds pointless.
2006-06-15 12:55:20
26.   adg
Paraguay's national stadium is called the "Defensores del Chaco;" keeping the memory fresh, as it were.
2006-06-15 13:13:28
27.   Bob Timmermann
Looks like Bobadilla saw that free kick pretty well.
2006-06-15 13:16:51
28.   Ken Arneson
Paraguay looks like the better team now.
2006-06-15 13:17:09
29.   Bob Timmermann
Un milagro para Paraguay!
2006-06-15 13:17:19
30.   Sandus
PHENOMENAL PLAY.
2006-06-15 13:18:15
31.   Greg Brock
This has been quite the day for goal-saving defensemen.
2006-06-15 13:21:01
32.   Kayaker7
Are you guys watching the game? I can only read the gamecast.
2006-06-15 13:22:06
33.   Bob Timmermann
Day off for me. I've got the World Cup in the big picture and the Dodgers-Padres in the little one.
2006-06-15 13:22:45
34.   Greg Brock
50/50 ball past the goalie, about three feet from the goal, and the defenseman leaps and kicks it away half a foot in front of the leaping Swede. If that makes any sense.
2006-06-15 13:23:31
35.   Greg Brock
Plus, I've been wanting to say "Leaping Swede" all day.
2006-06-15 13:23:47
36.   Kayaker7
Yumpin yiminy. A leaping Swede!
2006-06-15 13:25:55
37.   Ken Arneson
They called the "Leaping Swede" for a foul on the play, which made no sense to me.
2006-06-15 13:26:33
38.   Ken Arneson
Another Leaping Swede. C'mon put the ball in the net, Sweden, not over it!
2006-06-15 13:36:51
39.   Greg Brock
Man, did that ball knuckle. We're minutes away from seeing the dreaded Swedish tempers erupt.
2006-06-15 13:37:40
40.   Greg Brock
Oh goodness me.
2006-06-15 13:38:00
41.   adg
Right place, right time.
2006-06-15 13:38:08
42.   Bob Timmermann
Otro milagro por Bobadilla!

Trust me, sounds really cool on Spanish language TV.

2006-06-15 13:38:41
43.   Ken Arneson
I think they're cursed.
2006-06-15 13:40:34
44.   Greg Brock
If I don't get the chance to scream "Tjooooooog!" once in this World Cup, none of this will mean anything.
2006-06-15 13:40:53
45.   Kayaker7
I thought the Swedes had a reputation for being calm Sarcasm?
2006-06-15 13:41:30
46.   Greg Brock
Yes, sarcasm.
2006-06-15 13:44:00
47.   Bob Timmermann
Scandinavians do have higher than normal suicide rates, but that could have something to do with the long winters.
2006-06-15 13:45:13
48.   Greg Brock
I think do it has a lot to do with the climate, seasons et al.
2006-06-15 13:45:39
49.   Greg Brock
Wow, nice grammar, me.
2006-06-15 13:46:07
50.   Greg Brock
TJOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOG!
Show/Hide Comments 51-100
2006-06-15 13:46:10
51.   Ken Arneson
The curse is over!!!!
2006-06-15 13:46:35
52.   Bob Timmermann
And there was great rejoicing in Alameda.
2006-06-15 13:51:28
53.   Kayaker7
Finally...
2006-06-15 13:52:37
54.   Bob Timmermann
Ken now becomes a big Paraguay fan!

T&T has an outside chance of grabbing the second sport in Group B if they beat Paraguay by 2 or more and Sweden loses to England.

To me, Sweden vs. England has "scoreless draw" written all over it.

2006-06-15 13:54:35
55.   Greg Brock
Is it me, or is Jose from the Adidas commercial quite the little control freak?
2006-06-15 13:55:31
56.   Bob Timmermann
He's the Buck Showalter of pickup soccer game managers.
2006-06-15 14:00:42
57.   Ken Arneson
54 England might want to lose, if winning means they'd face Germany instead of Ecuador in the round of 16. They won't know if that will be the case until Ecuador and Germany play, which is kicks off five hours before Sweden-England.
2006-06-15 14:08:38
58.   Bob Timmermann
I'm certain that the German police would like to put off a Germany-England matchup as long as possible.
2006-06-15 19:48:19
59.   xaphor
Equador has looked strong and performed better than the Germans so far. If we assume the better of the two is victorious I see no reason for England to give anything away.

Having said that, Sven has a perfect oppertunity to do his homeland a favour resting the starters and playing the bench under the guise of keeping the team healthy. Wouldn't suprise me in the least to see Walcott get his first cap.

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