A South American revolution

LONDON, England (CNN) -- South American nations have always played a major part in the world of football, and when it comes to the World Cup they are considered among the main contenders every time. But this time around there may be a new threat from the continent making its mark internationally.

Out of 18 World Cup Finals to date, a South American team has won the competition nine times, demonstrating that although Europe may be where the money is, the other side of the Atlantic has the raw talent.

Generally speaking, however, the continent's dominance has been largely down to two countries: Brazil, who have won the title an astonishing five times; and Argentina, who have made it to the tournament's final match four times and taken the trophy home twice. The rest of the continent has rarely played a major part in the proceedings.

Now, though, as the qualifying stages for the 2010 World Cup Finals gather speed, the two giants are being put to shame by a footballing nation that has, until now, had very limited success at international events: Paraguay.

Having only qualified for the finals seven times, and never made it further than the second round of the competition, Paraguay aren't usually seen as a serious threat to the big international teams, but this year the bookmakers may have to take a serious look at the small country from the center of the continent, with a population of just 6.1 million.

Following Tuesday night's 2-0 victory over Venezuela, Paraguay cemented their position at the top of the South American qualifying group, with 17 points from eight matches -- four points clear of the faltering Argentina and Brazil, who share second place.

So far in the group, the Paraguayans have recorded a 2-0 home win over Brazil and managed to secure a 1-1 draw away to the recent Olympic champions Argentina, proving they can keep up with the best in the world, even without one of their star players, striker Roque Santa Cruz, who was injured for the Buenos Aires fixture.

So, how are they managing it? And can they continue this form through the qualifiers and into the finals themselves?

Since 2006, the team has undergone some radical changes. A lot of big names in the squad and behind the scenes left the team following Paraguay's relatively poor performance in the World Cup Finals in Germany.

So it was goodbye to the old, including Paraguay's most capped player, Carlos Gamarra and coach, Anibal Ruiz, who has been replaced by Argentine Gerardo "Tata" Martino. But this left the door open for a whole new face for the nation's team.

And the new breed of players clearly have a lot of skill, impressing people all over the world. Players like Santa Cruz, for the English Premier League side Blackburn Rovers, and Edgar Barreto, an integral part of the Reggina Calcio squad in Italy's Serie A, represent Paraguay's swelling talent in the major European leagues.

The Paraguayan presence in the world's top leagues, shows the depth of their squad, and it also means players will be given the benefit of experiencing top level football on a regular basis; something that can only aid the development of an already talented player.

The style the team plays -- emphasizing a strength in attack, boosted by Santa Cruz and his gifted strike partners, Club America's Salvador Cabanas and Borussia Dortmund's Nelson Valdez -- hints at a tactical change, as well.

In the past, the Paraguayans have relied heavily on a solid defense to secure results, and not always had the goals to back that up. Now, although the defense is still strong -- featuring Boca Juniors regular Claudio Morel Rodriguez, and the powerful partnership of Paulo Da Silva and Julio Cesar Caceres -- there is some flair up front, which the manager is capitalizing on.

So, with an influx of good players, who are getting the necessary top level experience and a manager who knows how to get the most out of his team, this may be an opportunity for a new country to step to the foreground from South America and end the dominance of Brazil and Argentina.

As the table stands now, Paraguay are looking good to qualify, and if they can exercise the same level of skill they have shown in the opening eight matches, they could top the group and head to South Africa as the team to watch in the finals.