Paraguay Concludes Preparatory Tour Ahead of Qualifiers
The Senior Selection will conclude its preparatory tour on FIFA date ahead of the qualifiers that will start in March next year.
Their opponent, Saudi Arabia, had a good performance in the Asian tournament (remaining undefeated with two draws and two victories, the latest against Uzbekistan as visitors). They are leading their group and could be a tough opponent for the Albirroja, who found little resistance against Bulgaria last Tuesday.
In fact, it was known that the Europeans are in a renewal stage after their unsuccessful participation in the qualifiers for the 2020 Europe championship, which will be held from June 12 to July 12, coinciding with the Copa America that will have the same dates and will be held in Colombia and Argentina.
Berizzo expressed satisfaction with the last test, although he admitted the lack of effectiveness. He had previously stated that 70% of the current squad will be ready for official competition.
Jorge Moreira and Lorenzo Melgarejo have returned to the Senior Selection. Both players were part of the previous microcycle under the leadership of Juan Carlos Osorio (current coach of Atletico Nacional).
One of the players who has been ignored for a long time but has now been reintegrated into the national team is Blas Riveros, who is playing in Swiss football. The left back has earned his place and is now a key figure, overcoming years of absence in the senior team since his short stint under the leadership of Ramon Diaz in the Copa America Centenario in 2016.
Of the newcomers, Morel and Martinez will be adapting. Morel, the former midfielder of Guarani currently playing for Atletico Mineiro, did not participate in the previous tour due to an injury. We will see which team the Albirroja coach chooses for the last test of the year. Ideally, there should not be many changes in order to have more certainty about who will be selected for the first match on the road to Qatar.
Paraguay's performance is not fully convincing, but the intention to play well is evident and the outlook remains encouraging.
They have what it takes
We saw Paraguay face Venezuela in the preparation of the U-23 team for the Pre-Olympic tournament in Colombia, which will take place from January 18 to February 9 in Armenia, Bucaramanga, and Pereira.
The team currently led by Mariano Uglessich showed dynamic and good movement throughout the match. Beyond the 3-1 victory against Venezuela, the team's strong desire to play well was appreciated, with Sergio Diaz standing out for recovering his form that led to his transfer to Real Madrid, although unfortunately he did not perform well with Castilla or Lugo in Spanish football.
Sebastian Ferreira's scoring ability is in a good streak and he stands as the starting striker in this category. Members of the Senior Selection such as Matias Villasanti, Jorge Morel, Saul Salcedo, Cristian Paredes, among others, could join the team that has been working so far.
We insist that there is raw talent and we predict a very good campaign aiming to qualify for the Olympic Games in Japan.
Paraguay will debut in the Pre-Olympic on January 19 in Armenia against Uruguay, with Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru completing the group.