Paraguay bank on German fan backing against England

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

OBERHACHING, Germany, June 8 (Reuters) Paraguay hope to use a long-standing English-German soccer rivalry to their advantage when they face England in their first World Cup Group B match on Saturday.

''We have the advantage because the fans will be rooting more for us than for the English,'' striker Nelson Valdes told Reuters yesterday.

England and Germany have one of the longest soccer rivalries dating back to the 1966 World Cup final which England won 4-2 courtesy of two Geoff Hurst goals which the Germans dispute to this day.

They have since met on several other occasions including the 1970 and the 1990 World Cups.

''So the chances for us against England are there. We just have to take them and the German fans will help us,'' he said.

Valdes said local fans would generally support them more because three of their players play in the Bundesliga.

''We have a very big advantage over the other teams. We have three players in the team who know the fans and the fans know them,'' said Valdes, who plays for Werder Bremen.

The other two, Julio Dos Santos and Roque Santa Cruz, play for German champions Bayern Munich.

REUTERS AY HS0950

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