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Episode 22 - Paraguay
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Transcript
Introduction and Hosting Notes
00:00:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Welcome, welcome, welcome wherever you are around world. My name is Ken Davis. You will notice straight up that something different about this episode of Road to World Cup 2026, the big difference is we don't have a Nick.
00:00:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Nick is over in the United States. His lad is about to embark on a stellar career in college football. Good luck to Will. Good luck to Nick.
00:00:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
So
Paraguay's World Cup Prospects
00:00:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Nick's over there. So I'm flying solo today. And we are talking about the football team that is Paraguay.
00:01:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
I hope you'll agree. That is one of the better national anthems. I think, pity Nick hasn't been here to hear that. He likes his national anthems, but i suspect that national anthem is going to feature in our World Cup of National Anthems, of which we're going to do at some point in the future.
00:01:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
But I like it. It's a waltz. I don't know if any of you know much about musical theory, but that's in waltz time. So you can imagine that in 18th century Vienna. Ba-ba-da-da-da-da-da-da-da. I'm not waltzing around the room.
00:01:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Great song. Love it. So that's one of my favourite national anthems so far. So we're here to talk about Paraguay and the potential that Paraguay have at this World Cup. Now, you'll remember, we're taking a bit of a flyer on this one because Paraguay aren't actually qualified, just like England went.
00:01:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
...when we reviewed them last week. But Paraguay, if anything, have got a better chance at England......because they are six points clear in their qualification. There's two games to play.
00:02:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
And their goal difference is definitely putting them in the box seat. So we are prepared to take a flyer and say......Paraguay will be one of the 48 teams in World Cup 26. So, it's all down to me today. We're going to do the same kind of format. I'm going to tell you a little bit of history, bit form...
00:02:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
ranking information about the Paraguay football team but also a little bit of information about Paraguay itself. Then we're going to get on to information about formation, some of the key players to account for, their manager Gustavo Alfaro, we'll talk about his background and we'll finally ah decide exactly where we think Paraguay are going to get to. I've Been in contact with Nick over the pond. I've got his prediction for that. So you'll have both of our predictions in turn. So that's the agenda. Everybody sit comfortably, make yourself a cup of tea, get yourself a biscuit.
00:03:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
And we'll talk about Paraguay. But before we get there...
Asian Qualifying Process Update
00:03:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
And the only thing that's missing today is the news music. So imagine if you can some news music while I do this.
00:03:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da Right. OK, let's do the news. There's not much news because... If anything, the world is waiting for September and October ah for the next round of qualification matches.
00:03:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
But we're not completely devoid of World Cup news because in Asia, do you remember the Asian qualifying process, the five rounds of Asian qualifying processes?
00:03:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's... as we always Byzantine in its complications. And there's been another step in that, and that is this. The fourth round is now, has the pot of the fourth round has been drawn, if you like. So,
00:04:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
There are going to be two groups, Group A and Group B. We're talking about the Asian Football Conference here. So we've got two groups, one of Qatar, United Arab air Emirates and Oman, and Group B of Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Indonesia.
00:04:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
And We've got two groups. The winners of those two groups will automatically qualify for the World Cup 26. And these matches are going to be played between the 8th and 14th of October. If you're interested in the Asian qualifying process, slightly advantageously, the Group A qualifications are going to be hosted in Qatar and the Group B games are going to be hosted in Saudi Arabia. That probably gives both Qatar and Saudi Arabia is something of an advantage.
00:04:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
So... Two of those teams are going to emerge, if you like, as fully-fledged qualifiers at the World Cup. The two runners-up in those groups will enter a fifth round.
00:05:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
fifth round of Asian qualification and the winner of that little final will enter the FIFA playoff tournament so two teams qualify automatically the next two teams if you like go into another playoff fifth round for the FIFA playoff tournament it seems to go on forever it's longer than the World Cup itself obviously But that's where we are. That is about it as far as World Cup news goes.
00:05:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
But we we've got off to a good start. You're completely up to date in everything you need to know before we now dive in to Paraguay. Paraguay.
00:05:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
So hope you've been waltzing around your living room or your kitchen or your bedroom or your bathroom with a work office or in the car. Whatever you do, you waltzing. I hope that got you going. Before we get into things, quick message from the sponsors. The sponsors do pay for everything, so they are entitled to that.
00:06:15
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00:06:24
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00:06:34
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00:06:59
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If you've got a story to tell, tell it with Zencasto. You can check the show notes for more details. It's a very good choice. Now, let's go on to Paraguay.
00:07:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, La Alba Rioja. I'll be the opca red and white. I presume red and white, but this isn't Paraguay. This is Rexham who lost the first game in the championship this afternoon.
00:07:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
But what do you want to know about Paraguay?
Paraguay's Football History
00:07:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, history-wise, they've qualified for eight world cups. The last one though was back in 2010. ten So they haven't qualified since 2010. So they've missed out in the last three qualification stages.
00:07:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Incidentally, Their best performance was in 2010 where they reached the quarter of finals. They've been twice winners of the Copa America 1953 and in Their most Successful period was under the Argentinian manager Gerardo Martino.
00:08:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
That culminated in the 2010 World Cup campaign that we've just mentioned and also the year after Ray reached the final of the 2011 Copa America. copper ah america It was, if you like, in Paraguay circles, considered the golden generation and kind of established Paraguay as one of the top four teams in South America behind Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, who have been consistently successful.
00:08:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Now, just going back to that 2010 World Cup campaign, ah unbeaten in the group stages, You might remember, I remember that that competition. Roque Santa Cruz, quite a player. He featured very heavily in that World Cup campaign. He beat Japan on penalties in the next round and lost in the next round. That was the quarterfinal, so the round of eight.
00:09:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
to Spain who were the eventual winners. So there's no disgrace in losing to Spain. And so Paraguay acquitted themselves extremely well. So that's been their latest, or if you like their last World Cup campaign, they'll be hoping for a very similar outcome, at least in the 26th World Cup. We'll come to our predictions of whether that's gonna come about a little bit later.
00:09:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
But where are they form wise? Well, Actually, as we often find with these teams, when we look at the form, it gives you some very important clues, I think, into their likelihood of success because patterns emerge. And there's a very clear pattern in relation to Paraguay. It's a very interesting one, I you think.
00:09:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
So let's look over 2024 and 2025, as we generally tend to do. 10 games have been played. They've won five. They've drawn four. They've lost one.
Paraguay's Recent Performances
00:10:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Now, when you consider the standard of the opposition, that's pretty impressive because they're playing the best teams in the world, pretty much. Now, those 10 games have included victories against Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay.
00:10:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
The three teams we say were... traditionally considered to be the best three teams in in South America, and it's not really any different now. Beating Argentina 2-1, beating Brazil 1-0, beating Uruguay 2-0.
00:10:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Now, of those 10 games that have been played in the last 18 months, five games have played at home, five games have been played away. That sounds pretty so that sounds pretty normal. The games played at home against Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, they've won every one.
00:10:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
They've won every single home game against incredibly impressive opposition, Argentina and Brazil. Now, that is pretty much the most outstanding home form in the world.
00:11:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
So you can't knock them for the home form. The issue for Uruguay... is they're not as successful away from home. They're not great travelers. So they've played five games away, of which there's been four defeats.
00:11:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, no disgrace in that when you consider the opposition and a single defeat. So the story really is that they are dominant at home.
00:11:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Whatever system they play at home will come to systems and formations later, works extremely well. They're less, they're less, successful when they are under pressure in an opposing stadium ah where they tend to tend to win games, but they they they they pretty well in terms of holding their own in terms of draws.
00:11:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
So the question really comes when you look at the form of Paraguay is, do they travel well? And will that be an Achilles heel? When you think about it, it's not really an Achilles heel because 95% of the other teams have also travelled as well. So they're not playing away in stadiums which are going to be intensely against them.
00:12:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
In fact, I could see Paraguay developing into a team that people are rooting for. So that's where we are form-wise. Very interesting form.
00:12:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Absolutely outstanding at home. Now, their ranking over the years has fluctuated fairly, well, probably more than any of the team that we've looked at.
00:12:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
So they've seen they saw a remarkable rise. Remember we talked about this ah golden generation of Paraguayan football? Well, essentially what we've seen in the 30 odd years of ah of ranking, there's kind of been three phases.
00:13:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
So they, at the end of 1994, they were 103rd. they wear one hundred and instead which is but most people's estimation, a pretty average rank.
00:13:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
By 2001, they were eighth. So something pretty remarkable happened under Gerardo Martino in that time. So 2001, they were ranked eighth in the world.
00:13:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
They fell away over the course of the next 15 years. For example, they were back down to 85th in 2015.
00:13:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
But recently, over 10 years from 2015 to now, there's been a pretty significant rise. So they're up to 43rd as we talk today. But just bear in mind, this is a team that has been as high as eighth in the world.
00:14:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's been as low as 103rd in the world. So this feels like a team that is, again, on the rise. And that certainly seems to been the case in the course of the last 10 years.
00:14:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
So there's a little bit of history, World Cup. There's not a huge amount of history in terms of Paraguayan World Cup. Apart from 2010, which is noticeable or notable.
00:14:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
The form's been extremely good, as we noticed there. And from a ranking perspective, they are, they have occupied very, a very high ranking. And it seems like they're on the way back up there.
00:14:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
couple of other things before we move on. In the course of my research for this episode, Couple of interesting facts about Paraguay I just thought I would pass along. If it gets quiet in the pub tonight or in the cafe or in the restaurant, you've run out of things to say to your girlfriend. Here's two facts, interesting facts, I think, about Paraguay, which ah might just lighten a conversational load for you, okay?
00:15:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
So the first one is a bit of an internet myth. When I was doing the research for this, one of the things I kept coming across about Paraguay was this. that duelling with pistols is still legal in Paraguay, providing both partners consent, both parties consent, and the both blood donors.
00:15:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Now, I'm not sure how useful being a blood donor is if you're dead, is i don't think you take blood off dead people, but... Putting that to one side. That seems to be a myth or a story which is perpetuated throughout the the metaverse, if you like, throughout the the online universe.
00:15:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Now, in fact, somebody went to the trouble of contacting the Embassy of Paraguay to check if this was true, because let's be honest, none of us ever check if these things are true. But this person did bless them in America.
00:16:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
And in fact, it has been reputed. So the Embassy of Paraguay has been very clear on the point that Paraguay, no stage certainly in the course of the last recent history has it been legal to have a duel in paraguay irrespective of whether you consent or whether you're carrying a a blood donor card so if you want to go and have a duel with pistols don't go to paraguay because we can say categorically now that paraguayans
00:16:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
won't accept that. So go and do your dueling somewhere else. The other thing is the name Paraguay is an interesting name.
Cultural Insights on Paraguay
00:16:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it really comes from the fact that culturally, there is a lot of resonance in Paraguay for the Guarani culture, the Guarani language. In fact, the the currency of Paraguay is the Guarani.
00:17:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Now, the Guarani were the indigenous Indians of Paraguay. And Paraguay means water that runs to the sea. That's the kind of most literal translation of Paraguay, which is quite odd because as far as I'm concerned, water always runs to the sea.
00:17:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
I've never seen water that runs in other directions, but I don't know, I might not be... my I may stand corrected if somebody wants to come back to me and say, no, it's you can. There's plenty of things that run uphill.
00:17:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Fair enough. but So Paraguay means water that runs to the sea. and The other slight odd thing on that is that Paraguay actually has no sea. It is a landlocked country, so it has no sea coastline. So if you're in Paraguay and they came up with this name Paraguay,
00:18:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
The river that runs to the sea, they didn't really know because there's no sea in Paraguay. So two interesting facts, hope you didn't find them interesting, about Paraguay before we move on to the next thing.
00:18:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
So I hope, let's just have a little bit of break by listening to this.
00:18:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, there you go. So that was the Paraguay national anthem again. Hope that's playing through for you loud and clear. We are going to move on now to the second part of this. not having any Kenny's quiz today because I've been setting the questions.
00:18:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
And to be honest, I've probably still got wrong. But what we are going to do is talk about formation. We're going to talk about the manager. We're going to talk about some of the key players. We're going to talk about where we think Paraguay are going to finish their World Cup.
00:19:07
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Audience Engagement and Feedback
00:20:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
order. I hope you do that.
00:20:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Now, The other thing I hope is that you're enjoying the Road to World Cup because we're very much enjoying bringing it to you. We are going to be joined by Nick again next time, of course. This is very much a one-off, me just doing it on my own.
00:20:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
But please subscribe, leave a review, share the podcast for wherever you want to. And we'd love to hear your thoughts on the whole World Cup qualifying process. any Any points about football in general, actually. We quite like those things.
00:20:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
questions we get about rules and about ah unfairnesses that we perceive and whether certain players should be ah in squads or not in squads. We yeah particularly like doing a deep dive into them.
00:20:51
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But if you want to reach us, the best email to use is roadtoworldcup26 at gmail.com. So thank you for listening.
00:21:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Now,
00:21:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
What are we looking at in terms of formations? Well, I looked over the last four Paraguayan games. There was two in June. There was two in March.
00:21:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
And they're pretty important games because they were against Brazil away, Uruguay at home, Colombia home, away, sorry, and Chile at home. Now, these are all World Cup qualifying games. So they're going to be games taken pretty seriously by July.
00:21:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
by Gustavo Alfaro, the manager. And so what seems to happen is this. Against Brazil, which they lost one niil on the 11th of June, goal scored by Vinicius Junior, they played 4-2-3-1. So fairly defensive 4-2-3-1 away from home.
00:21:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
At home against Uruguay, five days before that, which they won 2-0, goal scored by Galaza and Cizo, They played a 4-4, 4-4-1-1, 4-4-2, 4-4-1-1. It's very similar, depending how far up the number 10 plays.
00:22:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Then going back to March, in the away game against Colombia, which they drew 2-2, goal scored by Alonso and Cizo again, ah they again employed 4-2-3-1. That seems to be a default away formation.
00:22:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
And going back six days before that, the one little victory in at home against Chile in Asuncion. That goal scored by Alderete.
00:22:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Again, 4-4-2. So a pretty clear pattern emerges here for Paraguay. Away from home, they take a fairly defensive approach, 4-2-3-1. forty three one ah That probably explains the the results for draws and defeat.
00:22:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know This is not a team away from home that actually pushes pushes on and seeks the victory. At home, they play differently. They play a 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1. ah four for one which gives them far more attacking options in midfield, it seems.
00:23:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
And let's be honest, has culminated in some outstanding, perhaps perhaps the most outstanding home form of any team in the world. So there seems to be definitely two ways of ah setting up that Alfaro uses. I suspect In the World Cup, especially in the first two matches of the qualification period, he'll play a 4-2-3-1. Working on the basis, he's going to be playing against teams of a relatively high quality.
00:23:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think they're going to go early on with 4-2-3-1. If a win is required in the final group round, quite often can be the case, particularly if they're playing considered the weakest opposition, i think they'll adapt to a 4-4-2. In fact, I think just to slightly change my attitude on that, I think what we'll see is the weakest opposite against the weakest opposition the World Cup group stages, he'll play a 4-4-2 against the other two teams, he'll play a 4-2-3-1.
00:24:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
That would be my take. They don't score loads of goals. They don't concede many goals and they play some very, very good teams. So I suspect that will be the formation.
00:24:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
4-2-3-1 and then a 4-4-2 against a weaker opposition at the World Cup. So we've dealt with formation.
00:24:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
We should really talk about the manager. Interesting guy. Gustavo Faro, he is not particularly well known, I think, to the footballing world outside Paraguay.
Manager Gustavo Alfaro's Impact
00:24:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
But he's very experienced, 63 years of age, good age. Argentinian by birth, midfielder by as a player.
00:24:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Though he was one-club player, played for the whole of his career for Atletico de Rafaela in Argentina, then became their manager, and that started his club managerial career.
00:25:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
And he spent, apart from a very, very short time in Saudi Arabia, he spent his first 28 years as a coach in in Argentina with some of the more established than famous clubs in Argentina. He didn't get his first national coach gig, if you like, until 2020.
00:25:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
first year of Ecuador. Uh, and he was with Ecuador between 20 and 2020 and 2023 and in Costa Rica between, uh, 23 and 24 before landing the Paraguay job in August, 2024.
00:25:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
So he's had a lot of experience, had a lot of experience in club football in South America. He's had now three international club, uh, or sorry, international, uh, coaching positions, uh,
00:26:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
with Ecuador, Costa Rica and Paraguay. Now, as a national coach, he's played 56 games. And one might say, managing not the not the biggest teams in South America, Ecuador, or in CONCACAF, Costa Rica.
00:26:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
In his 56 games as national coach, though, he's won 22 He's drawn 20 and he's only lost 14. So that's a pretty impressive track record when you consider the opposition in those two places.
00:26:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
So... Gustavo Alfaro, I think, from my perspective, is a positive attribute for Paraguay rather than a negative one. I think he's a quite an astute manager, knows his players, knows his formation and knows his opposition. So I think that's all pointing in the right direction for Paraguay.
00:26:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Some key players to look out for, some who are quite well known to us in the UK,
00:27:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Nick always does this part of the show and he always focuses initially on
Key Players in the Paraguayan Team
00:27:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
goalkeepers. And for good reason, they're they're absolutely central to pulling the strings and particularly World Cups that can become heroes and absolutely critical ah players in the team.
00:27:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, they the go-to goalkeeper for Paraguay seems to be Gatito Fernandes. Gatito, which is always known as, it's not actually his real name, it's not his real first name, but he's It's kitten in Spanish because he's the son of the legendary Paraguayan goalkeeper Gato, the cat.
00:27:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
So that's Roberto Fernandez. So he was the cat. So it stands to reason that his son is known as Gatito, the kitten. And he is, and his father, that's it everybody calls him Gatito Fernandez.
00:27:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's 37 years of age, which again, falls in line with the kind of schemes that we've seen earlier where with other teams that the goalkeepers tend to be of that kind of age. Experienced, seen a lot of the world, seen a lot of games and are reliable. And Gatito Fernandes is no different to that.
00:28:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Secondly, at centre-half, Gustavo Gomez, captain, 81 caps for Paraguay, so extremely experienced. Plays for Palmeiras in Brazil, so extremely experienced at club level and playing at a very high level in Brazil.
00:28:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
32 years of age, absolutely the leader. within the ke kind of got the character, he's got the experience, he's got the know-how ah to really lead that team. So absolutely critical in the centre of defence is Gustavo Gomez.
00:28:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then in midfield, couple of attacking midfielders just to point out to you. First one, Miguel Almeron. who we know in the UK very well, absolutely key player for Paraguay, and was at Newcastle and and had three very successful seasons at Newcastle, very well considered up in Newcastle, playing in Premier League, very talented player, and very much pulls the strings as an attacking midfielder. He's been transferred now to Paraguay,
00:29:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Atlanta in the MLS in the United States. So he's got experience of now playing in the US. So the US stadium, whatever, won't be a shock to him. So Miguel Ameron is...
00:29:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
very much at the centre, if you like, of their Paraguay's attacking options in relation to the World Cup. As is Julio Enciso. You've heard his name before when I mentioned some of the scorers. He scored against Uruguay and he scored against Colombia in the course of the last couple of games.
00:30:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Brighton player but on loan at Championship Ipswich. Ipswich were relegated from the Premier League last season, as you'll know. and But are expected to bounce back. And he's 21 years of age and he's very exciting. He's considered quite a star within Paraguayan football. so And he certainly seems to be banging the goals in. So Julio Enciso is certainly someone to take note of.
00:30:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
And finally, ah Antonio Sanaria of Torino.
00:30:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Upfront, prolific? No. but consistent. So a consistent rather than a prolific goal scorer in Serie A, but he's played at Serie A, which is never easy to score out for the goals. He plays for Torino. So Antonio Sanabria certainly seems to be key in terms of being the one up front, either as ah ah one of the two in the 4-4-2 or the the the most forward of forwards, if you like, in the 4-4-1-1. So...
00:31:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
so or in a 43-1. So that will be led by Antonio Sanabria. So there's five key players of Paraguay to look out for. That's Catito Fernandes, Gustavo Gomez, the captain who's the centre half mi um im iran iran video in Julio Enciso, and Antonio Sanabria. So we've talked about...
00:31:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
formation We've talked about the manager, we've talked about key players, we've talked about their history, we've talked about their form, and we've talked about their ranking.
00:31:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
So that just leaves us one thing, and that is predictions. Where do we think Paraguay will end up in terms of their success at World Cup
Predictions for Paraguay's World Cup Journey
00:32:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
26? Well, let's just recap for a minute.
00:32:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
They've got a highly experienced coach, both at club and national level. And I think their form, particularly their home form, which is amazing, and their away form, which is considerably less amazing, makes Paraguay quite a difficult prediction.
00:32:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Outstanding at home, of course, as we've said, but mediocre on the travel. So the thing is, of course, everybody's traveling to the World Cup. So it's which which Paraguay turns up?
00:32:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
The one with the home form or the one with the away form? Difficult to say. I think there are certain pointers.
00:32:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Their quality and depth looks shaky. When you compare it to some of the other teams that we've reviewed, they've got some outstanding players, some of the ones we've highlighted today.
00:32:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Most of their experience tends to be, apart from some of the ones we've mentioned there, in South America. ah it's difficult for us to really judge how how good that is in terms of international level football players.
00:33:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
And when you look at their second string, if you like, of players, that starts to look a little bit shakier. So I'm not sure we're talking about a team here that can go in deep, and yeah if you like, into the into the competition.
00:33:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah They're going to end up qualifying probably fourth, fifth, I should say, in relation to the South American qualifiers. They're going to finish behind Ecuador, of course.
00:33:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
So I don't think we're talking about Paraguay of 2010 is what I'm saying. I think they're going to get through the group stages. I think there's, of because remember, it's a 48-team World Cup.
00:33:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think they've got a better than even chance of going through one of the knockout stages, which would be the round of 32. So I can get in see them getting through the group, them getting through round 32. And I think they'll come up against a team in round 16, which is just probably too good for them.
00:34:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think they're going struggle to score. When you look at the goal ratios of the of their leading attackers, it's not as good as some of the other and other ones we've seen. They're going to give any team a very good game.
00:34:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
But I think ultimately, they're going to be eliminated from World Cup 26 in the round of 16. sixteen now I had a conversation with Nick earlier, even though he's in the United States. said to Nick, what do you think about Paraguay's chances? I gave him a bit of a rundown in terms of where Paraguay, what the history was, the kind of ah synopsis of what we just talked about there for the last 35 minutes.
00:34:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
And he came up with round of 16 as well. So again, we are... pretty pretty much on the same page me and Nick in terms of where they're going to be eliminated I'll make a note of that so that's what we think about Paraguay hope you've enjoyed that I know it's been slightly different we haven't had the usual banter we have that normally makes it last about another 20 minutes longer ah But there's 35 minutes on Paraguay.
00:35:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Decent team. Hope you enjoyed it. ah Next week, Nick
Episode Conclusion and Next Week's Preview
00:35:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
will be back. So we'll be doing it all together as one big happy family again. But we wanted to make sure that we kept our weekly output on the Road to World Cup coming to you because I know a lot of you listen and i know a lot of you are enjoying it. So we wanted to make sure we kept on track. So that's Paraguay. It's been and my pleasure. My name's Ken Davis, as you know.
00:35:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I hope you've enjoyed that. And hey sir make sure your team wins this week. Be nice to everybody you know. And we'll see you next week. And next week, I think we're going to do Espana. So that should be yeah that should be the fun because there's going to be a lot to talk about there. So until then, until next time, have a good one.