Keen for the praise to fall on those who earned it most, Antolin Alcaraz positively glowed with gratitude as he savoured Paraguay's recent form. “The success of this team is down to the coach,” the defender told FIFA.com, with just two months to go before he and his colleagues touch down in South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.

Called up for the first time in November 2008, the Club Brugge centre-back owes his stint with La Albirroja to Gerardo Martino, but his respect for Paraguay’s national coach owes little to self-interest. Instead, Alcaraz is as eager as anyone to analyse the reasons why Paraguay enjoyed their best ever FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, having hit the 30-point mark for the first time under the current format. “If the squad is united, with a sense of togetherness and characters who complement each other, as well as a friendship that reaches beyond the pitch, then that’s down to him,” he explained. “Psychologically, he’s very good with the players.”

An ever-present figure in the Argentinian coach’s squad on the road to South Africa, the 28-year-old has become one of Martino’s most fervent supporters. “He made good decisions by making form the most important factor,” said Alcaraz. “He chooses the best players, without hesitating to leave the stars on the bench when they’re not playing so well. He’s also had the intelligence to bring new players into the national team, which gives us more options in case of injury or lack of form among the senior players. He does a huge amount of watching games and finds players no matter what league they’re in, as with Enrique Vera in Ecuador. That’s increased competition for places.”