The Paraguayan national team will draw on its fighting spirit—popularly known as “garra guaraní”—this Thursday when it faces Australia in Santa Clara in the third and final match of Group D of the World Cup, seeking a victory to advance to the round of 16.
La Albirroja, in third place with 3 points, will have to beat the Socceroos—who are in second place with the same number of points but a better goal differential—if they want to avoid having to do the math and rely on other results to advance as one of the top eight third-place teams.
Paraguay is reshaping its offense following Almirón’s absence
On the field at San Francisco’s Bay Stadium—popularly known as Levi’s Stadium—a closely contested, evenly matched game is expected, with every detail carefully planned.
Australia prioritizes tactical organization and physical play, while Paraguay relies on dedication and bursts of vertical play.
A concept embodied by figures such as Julio Enciso and Ramón Sosa.
The latter, who watched from the bench as Paraguay secured a hard-fought 0-1 victory over Turkey on the second matchday, is expected to start against Australia.
This came in the absence of Miguel Almirón, who was shown a red card for covering his mouth while speaking to an opponent.
Mauricio Magalhães Prado, a Brazilian who has become a Paraguayan citizen, is the other option that head coach Gustavo Alfaro is considering to fill in for “Miggy” Almirón.
La Albirroja Faces Its Toughest Offensive Test
Without Almirón, the Albirroja loses the mastermind of its offense, but gains more verticality with his replacement.
Whether it’s Sosa or Magalhães Prado, who scored Paraguay’s only goal in their 4-1 loss to the United States in their opening match.
The other question mark for Paraguay is which of the two lineups it has fielded so far it will use against Australia:
Whether it was the lackluster performance they showed against the Americans or their more tenacious side—the one that secured Turkey’s elimination despite playing with one fewer player for the entire second half.
Australia has the lead
In this battle, the Australians are relying not only on their tactical discipline, but also on their physical strength and greater average height.
There is also the peace of mind that comes from knowing that a tie will guarantee them second place and a matchup against the runner-up in Group G, which includes Belgium, Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand.
“We’re facing a very tough challenge against Australia,” Paraguay’s head coach, Gustavo Alfaro, told reporters about the match.
However, he added that his team can “do even better,” as long as all the players pull together in the same direction.
A close head-to-head match is expected
NuevaOnda.com
Probable Lineups
Paraguay: Orlando Gill; Juan José Cáceres, Gustavo Gómez, Omar Alderete, Junior Alonso; Ramón Sosa or Mauricio Magalhães Prado, Damián Bobadilla, Andrés Cubas, Matías Galarza; Julio Enciso and Antonio Sanabria.
Coach: Gustavo Alfaro.
Australia: Patrick Beach; Jordan Bos, Cameron Burgess, Harry Souttar; Alessandro Circati, Jacob Italiano, Nishan Velupillay, Paul Okon-Engstler; Nestory Irankunda, Connor Metcalfe; Mohamed Touré.
Coach: Tony Popovic.
Referee: Clément Turpin (France).
Stadium: San Francisco Bay Stadium, traditionally known as Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
Time: 7:00 p.m. local time (2:00 a.m. GMT on Friday).
With information from EFE
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