World Cup: Paraguay set for must-win clash against Australia

Paraguay already know what’s at stake in the Group D encounter against Australia at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in the early hours of Friday morning.

The South American side needs a win to guarantee second place in the group.

A draw might send both teams through, but they could meet a tough opponent that will send them home almost immediately in the round of 32.

Australia have the edge here as the Socceroos need just a draw as they will secure the ticket on the head-to-head tiebreaker, leaving Gustavo Alfaro’s side dependent on the third-place rankings. 

 Los Guaraní will want to avoid taking such a risk, as they must attack and look for a win. This will be a significant task against an organized Socceroos side, who were so impressive against Turkey.

Paraguay’s task has also been made harder by the suspension of their most creative player, Miguel Almiron. 

The former Newcastle United attacker was shown a straight red against Turkey for covering his mouth during a provocation.

His absence will be huge.  Almirón is the squad’s top scorer with 10 international goals and the primary creative force in transitional play. 

This means Alfaro must reshape his right side, as Gustavo Velázquez, who operates in a slightly more advanced role than he typically occupies, is likely to be his replacement.

Also in contention for the role is Brazilian-born Mauricio, who came off the bench to score in the 4–1 opening loss to the USA. 

This could lead to a wider attacking berth. Also in contention is Ramon Sosa, but the winger has been managing an ankle problem, having sat out the Turkey win.

Paraguay got a boost when Diego Gomez recovered from a knock sustained in the Turkey match. 

What they will need is a tireless run, as he is expected to be available, which will provide Alfaro with midfield continuity.

His backline of Cáceres, Gustavo Gómez, Alderete, and Alonso is expected to remain unchanged, with Orlando Gill in goal.

The Australian side is not a one-man team, as anyone could score in their set-up. Paraguay will have to be wary of the Socceroos, who are also hard to break down.

Should the Aussies go ahead first in the game, Paraguay may be forced to chase the game like Turkey, which has yet to score a goal, and be sent packing.

This is a squad that has 17 players playing at the tournament for the first time.

With their conservative approach, they can shock any team if they score first. Anyone from Nestory Irankunda, Mohamed Toure, Jordan Bos, Jackson Irvine, Alessandro Circati, and Harry Souttar could punish them as there is a high level of understanding of role switch between these lads.

Paraguay will have to be wary of that by ensuring that there is no lack of concentration by a split second, and get at least a draw that could put them in contention for the best losers slot.