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Paraguay held 1-1 by Denmark

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May 28, 2006 13:09 IST

World Cup-bound Paraguay were held to a 1-1 draw by Denmark in a friendly international in Aarhus on Saturday.

The two teams, who had never met before in an official match, treated a crowd of 20,047 at Aarhus Stadium to an entertaining match.

The Danes took the game to their opponents who hit back with dangerous counter-attacks and went in front in the 20th minute when veteran striker Jose Cardozo pounced on a mistake by defender Thomas Helveg.

The Danes created several chances, including an attempt from striker Morten Skoubo who missed at close range, before VfB Stuttgart striker Jon Dahl Tomasson equalised from a pass by midfielder Daniel Jensen six minutes into the second half.

Denmark coach Morten Olsen said he was disappointed with the result and offered scant praise to Paraguay.

"Paraguay are still in the preparations for the World Cup, so its difficult to say anything about their chances. But I think both teams can play better," he told reporters.

Denmark, the 1992 European Champions, failed to qualify for the World Cup which begins on June 9.

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Paraguay coach Anibal Ruiz said the match was good preparation for his team who will face England, Sweden and Trinidad &
Tobago in Group B.

"Matches like this are very good for us because Denmark have the same style of play as the English team, who are also physical and aggressive," Ruiz said.

Ruiz also said that his first-choice striker Roque Santa Cruz will play in Paraguay's opener against England on June 10.

Santa Cruz, who did not play against Denmark, is still recovering after suffering knee ligament damage during a Bundesliga match for Bayern Munich in October.

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