It has been a long time since Paraguay last conquered South American football, and they start their 2021 Copa America campaign looking to arrest a slump against Bolivia.
Paraguay are two-time winners of the Copa America, though not since 1979 have La Albirroja hoisted the trophy aloft.
Since then, their best performance has been reaching the 2011 final, which they lost against Uruguay. Paraguay did make it to the 2019 quarter-final, where they were eliminated by eventual champions Brazil on penalties.
There are familiar faces in the squad – captain Gustavo Gomez, Newcastle United's Miguel Almiron and Angel Romero.
Juan Carlos Osorio oversaw Paraguay's run to the last eight two years ago, but former Celta Vigo, Sevilla and Athletic Bilbao boss Eduardo Berizzo is now at the helm as the country dreams big.
But Berizzo finds himself under pressure amid a four-game winless streak following their 2-0 defeat to Brazil in World Cup qualifying prior to the Copa America – the nation's first loss at home to the Selecao since 1985.
"The Copa America will serve to consolidate the concept and the idea," Paraguayan Football Association (APF) vice-president Javier Diaz de Vivar told Radio Monumental 1080 AM following the Brazil loss. "We see a growing Paraguay, we need to be more forceful and perhaps be a little more vertical, but we are doing well, working, we chat every day with Eduardo Berizzo."
Bolivia will be hoping the delayed Copa will help the team – the 1963 champions have not progressed from the group stage since 2015.
An additional advantage could be that most of Bolivia's squad play in the domestic league, which has been suspended due to the COVID-19 situation.
With more time to prepare together, Marcelo Martins and Bolivia – who took part in the 2015 quarter-finals, their first knockout-round appearance since finishing runners-up in 1997 – are looking beyond the group phase.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Paraguay – Julio Enciso
The youngest player at the Copa America, Enciso has already played 24 top-flight matches for Libertad and was briefly the youngest player to score in the Copa Libertadores this century with his goal against Jorge Wilstermann last year when still 16. A good dribbler and not shy to take a shot, Enciso has been used almost everywhere across the front for Libertad and could be an interesting wildcard option for Paraguay.
Bolivia – Marcelo Martins
The heart and soul of a nation? Look no further than Martins. The iconic forward stands alone as Bolivia's record holder for goals (25 in 83 appearances). Of those, 18 have come in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying, also making Martins Bolivia's top scorer in that competition. Playing his football for Cruzeiro in Brazil, Martins scored three goals in the two qualifiers immediately prior to the Copa America, helping his side to earn four points. Martins scored in the previous meeting between Paraguay and Bolivia – a 2-2 World Cup qualifying draw in November.
KEY OPTA FACTS
- Paraguay are winless in their last 11 games in Copa America (D6 L5), their longest winless run in the competition.
- Bolivia scored in each of their last two games in Copa America: Marcelo Martins and Leonel Justiniano found the net in their defeats against Peru and Venezuela respectively in 2019.
- This is the sixth consecutive Copa America with Paraguay managed by a Argentinian boss, with Gerardo Martino (2007 and 2011), Ramon Díaz (2015 and 2016) and Eduardo Berizzo (2019 and 2021) each taking charge for multiple tournaments.
- Bolivia boss Cesar Farías will manage his second Copa America. In his previous edition, he oversaw an historic fourth-place finish for Venezuela in 2011.
Charlie Adam ‘gutted’ after Posh loss leaves Fleetwood on brink of relegation
Fleetwood boss Charlie Adam admitted his side were masters of their own downfall after being left on the brink of relegation from League One following a 4-1 defeat at Peterborough.
The Cod Army are facing up to a future in League Two after being left six points from safety with just two games to go.
They only have themselves to blame after Promise Omochere and Bosun Lawal both missed penalties before Adam’s men were put to the sword by play-off bound Posh.
Lawal fired Fleetwood ahead after just 13 seconds and then earned the ninth-minute penalty that Omochere saw saved by Posh keeper Jed Steer.
Malik Mothersille fired Posh level with his first English Football League goal and the game was still in the balance when Lawal was denied from the spot by Steer with 15 minutes to go.
Posh then took command with Archie Collins’ 81st-minute strike being followed by a stoppage-time brace from substitute Jonson Clarke-Harris.
Adam admitted: “I’m gutted for the players and supporters. That performance did not deserve that result.
“To come here and show the character that we did, I’m really proud of the players, but we walk away extremely disappointed.
“We had the perfect start, but when you get big moments in games you have to take them and we have missed two penalties.
“The two lads stepped up and were brave enough to take them, but unfortunately for us they missed them.
“The dressing room is quiet and flat. Of course it’s going to be as we’re in a position we don’t want to be.
“We have to win two games and see where we are at the end of the season.
“The lads will be off tomorrow, we’ll come back in Thursday and prepare as we always do. The challenge is to finish on two positive results to take into next season.”
Peterborough are six points off the automatic-promotion spots with a game in hand.
Boss Darren Ferguson said: “Starting the game in the way we did – conceding a goal like that without even touching the ball – is bordering on the unprofessional.
“I never felt comfortable throughout the game, but we managed to get the reaction we wanted from Saturday by winning the game.
“If I was Charlie I would be really disappointed with the two penalties as they’ve both been pretty comfortable saves for Jed. It was a case of getting out of jail really for us.
“Jonno came on, set one up and scored two; Jed made the two penalty saves; Malik came in and scored so there were positives for sure, but there are things we have to tidy up.
“We’re in the play-offs now and another point secures us being at home in the second leg.
“Second place is obviously Derby’s to throw away but football works in many strange ways and they still need a win.”
PSG and Borussia Dortmund win thrilling Champions League quarter-finals
Kylian Mbappe struck twice as Paris St Germain capitalised on the dismissal of Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo to qualify for the Champions League semi-finals with a 4-1 win in the second leg.
Barcelona ran out at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys armed with a 3-2 triumph from their first meeting in Paris and when Raphinha capitalised on Lamine Yamal’s skilful approach work to fire the opener, they had sight of the last four.
But a setback came in the 29th minute when defender Araujo was sent off for tripping winger Bradley Barcola on the edge of the area, VAR confirming the on-field decision for a red card.
The pressure built on the home goal and PSG hit back through Ousmane Dembele in the 40th minute before Vitinha drilled the French champions into the lead on the night.
Barcelona’s frustration extended to their manager Xavi, who was sent off for kicking some water bottles, and the Spanish club’s misery was complete when Mbappe was on target from the penalty spot before adding a late second for a 6-4 aggregate win.
PSG will face Borussia Dortmund in the penultimate round after the German club overturned a 2-1 deficit from the first leg to topple Atletico Madrid 5-4 on aggregate.
In another pulsating quarter-final, Dortmund went 2-0 up through Julian Brandt and Ian Maatsen before a Mats Hummels own goal and Angel Correa’s strike levelled the score.
Atletico were in the driving seat but the hosts responded magnificently with Niclas Fullkrug and Marcel Sabitzer hitting the target to ignite celebrations at the Westfalenstadion.
Michael Skubala proud of Lincoln performance in win at Oxford
Lincoln boss Michael Skubala labelled as “unbelievable” his team’s crucial 1-0 win at Oxford.
The Imps kept their season alive with a resolute defensive performance and a victory thanks to Danny Mandroiu’s 47th-minute penalty after Ruben Rodrigues was adjudged to have fouled Ben House.
The win enabled Lincoln to leapfrog Blackpool into seventh place in League One, just two points behind Oxford with two games to go.
Skubala said: “We were unbelievable – we have a special group here. We played for the shirt, you could see that.
“I can’t really pick anyone out, we were collectively fantastic and I’m just so proud of them.
“We said to them before the start ‘let’s just keep it alive and then see what the pressure might do’ and we’ve done that.
“We knew we couldn’t come here and dominate the ball, Oxford have some very good players.
“But we thought we could catch them on the counter and hurt them and the players carried out the game plan to perfection.
“It was a great penalty from Danny Mandroiu. He was as cool as ice.
“The way we ran the clock down was perfect.”
Lincoln’s win came despite losing Reeco Hackett in only the fifth minute to a bad arm injury.
They also had substitute Dylan Duffy sent off for a second yellow card in the 83rd minute, when he fouled Marcus Browne, but the 10 men held out.
Oxford manager Des Buckingham was unhappy with the penalty award.
He said: “I’ve watched it back and it’s as clear as day…. Ruben Rodrigues won the ball.
“So, yes, I’ve got complaints about the penalty because it’s a key moment and in the end that’s what has decided the outcome of the game.
“I think we played well enough, especially in the first half, to feel we should have won the game – we created a couple of big opportunities.
“If we keep presenting opportunities like the ones to Tyler Goodrham and Mark Harris I’m sure they’ll take them.
“But we’d scored 13 goals in the last three games, maybe we had used up our share.
“We’re in a strong position with two games to go. So I’m not going to stand here and keep moaning about the penalty – we’ve just got to refocus for Stevenage at home on Friday night.
“I’m disappointed the performance here hasn’t given us the result because we definitely deserved to get something from this game.”
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