England's Crouch a towering problem for Paraguay

OBERHACHING, June 8 : Towering England striker Peter Crouch is among Paraguay coach Anibal Ruiz's main concerns as he draws up his battle plans ahead of their first World Cup Group B match on Saturday.

''Peter Crouch is a concern for me,'' the soft-spoken Ruiz told reporters today. ''We hardly come across players like Peter Crouch.

Very seldom.'' The 6 foot 7 inches (2.04 metres) Liverpool striker has been outstanding for both club and country in recent months, even scoring a hat-trick against Jamaica in a friendly match last week.

Ruiz said Crouch's coordination and his ability to shoot and play with his head was very good.

''He has this harmony in his movements, a coordination that is very good and he also can go back and help with the game building,'' Ruiz said.

Paraguay captain Carlos Gamarra, who has his work cut out for Saturday, said he was not troubled by Crouch's size.

''I like playing tall players because that means you can get more physical.'' Gamarra, the anchor in his team's defence and among the game's fairest defenders, said size did not matter.

''It does not matter how tall you are but how you can keep the ball,'' said Gamarra, who did not commit a single foul during four games in the previous World Cup.

Asked what he thought of Crouch's goal celebration, known as the ''Crouch shuffle,'' striker Roque Santa Cruz said: ''I like it but I don't want to see it on Saturday.''

REUTERS