Vital Vera a cog in the Paraguay machine

Sunday 10th January 2010

Paraguay's World Cup machine could come off the rails if the "vital" cog of Enrique Vera comes off the rails, reports FIFA. The 30-year-old almost agreed to play for Ecuador's national side in early 2007, until a last-minute call saw him pulling on a Paraguay shirt instead. "Luis Suarez ... Ecuador coach at the time, asked me if I wanted to play for the national side," he tells FIFA. "I had the papers all sorted out when I got the call from Paraguay." Vera has since become a valuable member of the Paraguayan national squad, according to FIFA, although the 2010 South Africa World Cup will be his first world finals. Punters looking for a lucrative bet might want to put their faith in Vera, with Paraguay at odds of around 40/1 to win the World Cup outright this summer. For a slightly more secure gamble - that still has the chance of a decent payout - Paraguay to reach the final is available at odds of between 20/1 and 25/1 at many online bookmakers.