Paraguayan lingua franca may bamboozle England

0 Comments | AFP, June, 2006

MUNICH (AFP) — They may have a 1,290-kilometre (800 miles) border with mighty Brazil, but in footballing terms modest Paraguay have little in common with their all-conquering neighbours.

However, they hope that they can bamboozle their rivals here by ensuring that something, perhaps everything, gets lost in translation as they gee each other up or bark instructions during matches.

England skipper David Beckham would, after three years playing in Spain, expect to decode his opponents' on-pitch instructions to each other - but the outsiders have a subtle plan which they hope will help them pull off a shock on Saturday in Frankfurt.

Once they kick off, the Paraguayans are wont to speak, not in Spanish but the native tongue of Guarani.

So if Becks and...