© EuroFootball.com
The national team of Paraguay failed to deliver the promised surprise - Latin American football representatives lost 1-0 to the English team in the first match of the World Cup.
After the match, England's coach Sven Goran Eriksson told gathered journalists that he is satisfied with the three points they earned, but the game wasn't very good.
"I think we played the first 35-40 minutes the way we should," the Swede said. "We had opportunities to score more than one goal.
"However, in the last minutes of the first half, we gave the initiative to the opponents, and in the majority of the second half, we couldn't control the ball - the Paraguayans controlled it more than we did. Nevertheless, our defense worked well, and the opponents couldn't take advantage of creating chances.
"I am extremely happy with the three points we earned, as we started the last European championship on equal terms and then lost to the French in the last minute.
"I know that to win the World Cup, we have to play better. And we will. In each upcoming match, our game will only get better."
Talking about the decision to substitute forward Michael Owen at the beginning of the second half, the Swede said: "I replaced him to bring freshness to the field, but M. Owen played well and his game will only get better."
"You can't imagine how hot it was there," England's captain David Beckham insisted. "Sometimes we played really well, but we too often gave the ball away to the opponents. But it was hot, and we achieved what we wanted.
"The game could have been better, and we will try to improve it. We were exhausted because the match took place during the day, and it was 28 or 29 degrees Celsius."
Meanwhile, Paraguay's coach Anibal Ruiz was not very disappointed.
"It took time for us to get into the rhythm. We picked up pace in about 15 minutes. We couldn't score a goal, but we played against a good team with individually strong players.
"I think from the 20th minute, we controlled the ball long enough not to allow the opponents any chances near our goal. After the unexpected first goal, we were able to control a strong opponent who can go all the way to the final. Maybe we didn't find enough space in attack to score a goal, but overall we are satisfied with the team's performance."
Regarding the upcoming matches, the coach said he hopes to achieve two good results and maybe continue the fight in the knockout stages.
