With no wins and one goal in Copa America 2016, Paraguay as a team is struggling. When a Paraguayan legend is ripping your federation and coaching staff ahead of a “must-win” game, you have a recipe for disaster.
Such as it is for Paraguay.
Jose Luis Chilavert has called Paraguay’s coach a walled-off, office clerk who is out of touch with his players.
Despite all this, with one point in the bag, Paraguay may still advance should they get the win against the United States.
Paraguay will be minus playmaker Oscar Romero who earned a red card against Colombia. The loss of key player like Romero could be addition by subtraction in the wild world of elimination games.
Will Paraguay change dramatically? Who will fill the gap? How will Paraguay look to get forward? These are questions that the US won’t know until right before kick-off giving Los Guaranies the, however slight, element of surprise.
Small in stature of a footballing power, Paraguay has the survival instincts of a cockroach. Paraguay made it to the 2011 Copa America final match having had only one win in regulation the entire tournament.
Meanwhile, Paraguay advanced to the semi-finals before losing to eventual winner Chile.
With the team which scores first winning an overwhelming number of matches (11-0-1), Paraguay will pin their ears back and bomb forward fearlessly.
With speed to burn, Paraguay will use try to use America’s possession against itself, letting the USMNT plunge deep into Paraguayan territory and hoping the counter will turn the match into a track meet.
Even if the US gets back well in transition, Paraguay has several attacking players and will try to find seams in the USMNT defense.
