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The former Manchester City striker Roque Santa Cruz has said that he hopes to play an important part in helping the Spanish club Malaga extend the return that they have experienced in all competitions recently.

Malaga came into the new season with major doubts about the future. They have to sell many star players including the best players from last season – Santi Cazorla – for very low sums of money in order to service the debts. However, they have been able to not only perform well in the Spanish la Liga, but also in other competitions as well.

They were one of the first teams to progress from the group stages of the Champions League into the knockout stages, while they recently entered into the last 16 of the Copa del Rey. Malaga were playing against the third division opponents Cacereno. Roque Santa Cruz was a crucial player in the match after he scored two goals to help the team win 4-2. The Paraguay striker has not been one of the first-team regulars for Malaika this season. However, he is hoping that his double strike against Cacereno will convince the manager to play him more often. He has scored just one goal in the league this season.

“It is important for my confidence to play and pick up rhythm. The goals also bring confidence but we looked at it more as a complete exercise from the team. I would like to score more in the league and I hope to continue the run that started with the cup game,” said Roque Santa Cruz after the 4-2 victory. The former Blackburn Rovers striker came through leaps and bounds since arriving at England. However, he has been devoid of regular first-team football ever since moving to the Premier league club Manchester City for £ 17 million.

The Paraguay national team manager Gerardo Pelusso has said that surprise is the biggest weapon he is set to use when Paraguay face Argentina in a World Cup qualifying match. Argentina will be coming into the match as one of the favourites, whereas Paraguay have recently suffered a number of defeats.

However, the manager of the national team has said that it will not be a surprise for the Argentina manager Sabella to see his tactics if he has studied it already, but if he hasn’t, then it will be a major shock for him.

Paraguay recently sacked their manager after a poor run of form in recent matches. It has seen the national team suffer many defeats and draws in recent matches. As a result, they have taken only four points from the last five matches. This has put them in a precarious situation ahead of their aspirations to play in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The arrival of Gerardo Pelusso will be coinciding with the match against Argentina. Due to the fact that he is the new man at the helm, he is expected to adopt new tactics against Argentina. Gerardo Pelusso has great experience of coaching in the South American leagues.

“None (of our opponents) know who’s going to play (in my team), how we’re going to play or what formation Paraguay will have on the pitch. That will be the surprise factor, (whereas) everyone knows the other teams. Those who know me, have an idea of my style, those who don’t will be in for a surprise,” said the manager ahead of the match with Argentina. Following this match, Paraguay will be playing against the likes of Venezuela and Colombia, which are equally tough matches according to the manager of the Paraguayan football team.

The Paraguay international Roque Santa Cruz has said that he is extremely happy to be back on the pitch for Manchester city. The 30-year-old spent the last season on loan to the Spanish club Real Betis. He has, however, expressed his desire to be part of the Manchester city team.

Even though he is down the pecking order, the Manchester city manager Roberto Mancini decided to utilise the Paraguay international for most of the match against Limerick on Sunday. This was one of the final pre-season friendly matches for the club before they take on Chelsea in the Community Shield.

Roque Santa Cruz is widely expected to depart the club in the summer transfer window on a permanent basis. However, Manchester city have been finding it extremely hard to sell the player due to his extraordinary wages. The player was a £ 16 million signing from Blackburn a few seasons ago. However, since the departure of the former manager Mark Hughes, he has found first-team opportunities limited under Roberto Mancini, which led to his loan deal to the Spanish club. Due to the inability of the club to sign the Arsenal striker Robin van Persie, it is thought that Mancini is looking at keeping Roque Santa Cruz at the club.

“For me, it was great to play for 70 minutes – I had a good, long season last year and I’m just coming back from holiday and feeling good, looking forward to what is coming in the next two weeks. There are a couple of players who haven’t played so much this pre-season so it was good to have a game and build up some match fitness. I’m really pleased for Edin to come back in and get a couple of goals after his injury,” said Roque Santa Cruz on the official website of the club.

South American team Paraguay have relieved manager Francisco Arce of his duties following the poor start made by the team in the recent qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Most of the South American teams are extremely aware that this would be a major opportunity for them to do well in the World Cup due to the fact that it will be held on the home continent. Paraguay surprised most of the nations after doing extremely well at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. However, they have started their qualification campaign for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil extremely poorly, and are unlikely to be lining up against the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Lionel Messi any time soon.

Manager Francisco Arce has paid the price for the poor start made by the team with his job after the Paraguay football Federation decided to release him from his duties. Paraguay lost the most recent match against Bolivia 3-1.

Playing against Bolivia is always a tough fixture due to the high altitudes that provide a massive advantage to the Bolivian players. However, Paraguay have been training in high altitude locations for the last three weeks for this fixture, but still ended up losing the match 3-1. This result put so much pressure on them to qualify for the World Cup.

“It is one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to take along with the board. Things did not work out as one wanted and it’s a shame. We worked hard but there is a reality in football that is results. There is no new coach yet, we’re going to take our time to search,” said the Paraguayan FA president Juan Angel Napout after announcing his decision to sack manager Francisco Arce. Paraguay made it to the quarter-final of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, while they have qualified for the last four World Cup tournaments.

Paraguay striker Oscar Cardozo could spark interest from a number of high-profile clubs including Chelsea in the summer after it was learnt that is Portuguese club Benfica have decided to sell him in the summer. Oscar Cardozo has been an influential part of the Benfica team in the last few seasons.

He helped them get to the quarter-finals of the Champions League this season, but he could not help them get past eventual winners of the competition Chelsea. It was rumoured back then that Chelsea would be interested in signing Oscar Cardozo at the right price. However, the English club could well be back for the Paraguay striker given that they have recently released striker Didier Drogba.

The 28-year-old Oscar Cardozo is regarded to be a player of the same qualities that Didier Drogba had in his prime. Hence, he could be a great backup to star striker Fernando Torres, who has struggled for goals at Stamford Bridge. Everton have also been linked with the player. Benfica are expected to strengthen the team a lot in the summer, which will see a number of arrivals from Brazil and other European countries. Hence, they see this as the ideal time to sell the 28-year-old Oscar Cardozo, who has had a magnificent career at the Portuguese club.

Oscar Cardozo arrived at the Portuguese club back in 2007, but has helped them with more than 100 goals during these five years. It is a record that is compatible with the best in the world including Didier Drogba. Chelsea recently won the Champions League trophy for the first time in their history. They are looking to spend a significant chunk of the money they have got as the television and prize money, which is currently valued at more than £ 65 million.

Paraguay striker Lucas Barrios has said that he is not willing to spend another season on the bench at Borussia Dortmund.

The 27-year-old has been linked with a move to the Premier league, with a number of clubs like Arsenal and Manchester City showing an interest in signing him on a permanent basis. He has not been part of the Borussia Dortmund side on a permanent basis this season.

As a result, he has grown extremely impatient with the amount of playing time he has been getting this season. Like every other top player, Lucas Barrios has said that he needs to play more.

Lucas Barrios was a key player in the Borussia Dortmund side that won the title last season, but he has been largely marginalised this time around. His exploits with Borussia Dortmund last season helped the club to lift the German Bundesliga title.

He was heavily linked with a move to Manchester City or Arsenal in the January transfer window, but any such move failed to materialise as there was no concrete bid from both the clubs. However, it is very much expected that both clubs will be showing great interest in the summer, as his transfer value has fallen considerably after spending a lot of time on the bench.

“Of course, I do not want to sit on the bench for a second season. That is not what being a professional footballer is about. I’m unhappy, but I’m waiting for my chance as a professional. It is difficult on the other hand for me to accept this after such a successful season,” Lucas Barrios said in a recent interview given regarding his future. Of course, it is also feasible that Lucas Barrios might sit down and negotiate a new contract whereby he will be guaranteed a more playing time in the future.

In a very much one sided friendly match played at the Estadio Feliciano Caceres in Luque, Paraguay, the Paraguay National Football Team defeated the Chile National Football Team 2-0.

The hosts took the lead in the 44th minute of the match through Edgar Benitez from the penalty spot. They doubled their lead in the 72nd minute through a strike from Jose Ortigoza, and take the match 2-0 over their South American neighbors.

However, the match never reached the heights that were expected of it considering the fact that both these team did extremely well in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa as well as in the Copa America of 2011. However, most of the star players for the Chile National Football Team including Mauricio Isla, Alexis Sanchez and Arturo Vidal were not available for the match against the Paraguay National Football Team due to their participation in the respective leagues of their clubs and this prompted them to field a much weakened side compared to that fielded by the hosts.

Although it was never expected that Paraguay would win the match with such ease, they did win the match without having the football that people have to expect of them and with the World Cup Qualifiers coming up in a few weeks’ time, the signs are not too good for the team.

The scenario is such in the South American group that one of the powerhouses will have to miss out of the tournament as Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile fight for three spots from the continent with Brazil, being the hosts, already confirmed to play in the tournament. It is worth seeing if the Paraguay National Football Team can overcome the odds to secure a place in the FIFA World Cup 2014 to be played in their own continent.