http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/060515/6/6sgc.htmlEngland don't scare us, says Santa Cruz
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15 May 2006
by AFP
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Paraguay striker Roque Santa Cruz has warned group rivals England against expecting an easy passage through to the FIFA World Cup™ knockout rounds.
The Bayern Munich star has recovered from a cruciate ligament injury that saw him miss most of the Bundesliga season and is likely to line up in attack for the South Americans. And the 24-year-old centre-forward cannot wait to have a crack at rivals England in Group B's opening match on 10 June as the Paraguayans aim to qualify for the last 16 for the third tournament in succession.
Though Sven-Goran Eriksson's team are favourites to top their group, Santa Cruz believes the expectation may weigh heavily on English shoulders. "The group is good for us, there are many that are far worse," Santa Cruz said in an interview earlier this year.
"People get very excited when they see you are drawn against England because they have all these superstars.
Maybe some people think we are unlucky to get them in our group. I don't see it that way. What about the teams who are playing Brazil or Germany in their group? Do you think they are saying 'fantastic, at least we didn't get drawn against England'?"Out of all the top teams we could have had in our group England are probably the best one for us. Before every World Cup there is always a lot of talk about England but they never perform to their expectations."
A tall and rangy centre-forward, Santa Cruz stood out from an early age, finishing several seasons as top scorer during his childhood with Olimpia in Paraguayan capital. He was elevated to the club's senior ranks as a 16-year-old, and he helped them win back-to-back titles in his first two years as a professional in 1998 and 1999, when he was Paraguay's player of the year.
He signed for Bayern in 1999 and has been a fixture at the German champions ever since, although he was struggling to command a regular first-team place when he was injured. The Paraguayan's experience of German football has left him tipping the host nation to emerge as one of the key teams next month's finals, and he rates them as a bigger threat than England.
"For me, Germany are far more dangerous," the Paraguayan said. "Even when they are not in form they can fight to get important results and perform better than is expected."
Santa Cruz has also become a cult figure in Germany, and even had a pop song 'Ich, Roque' recorded in his honour by a rock band. And if things go according to plan in Germany, Santa Cruz will be giving his fans plenty to sing about.
