On Tuesday evening, Costa Rica will face Paraguay in their third and final Copa América group match. Los Ticos has a remote chance of qualifying for the knockout round, but it would take a minor miracle to transpire. La Sele would need to defeat Paraguay and Brazil to lose to Colombia, with a six-goal swing in their favor. The probabilities are slim, but it’s a chance nonetheless!
Even if Los Ticos do not qualify for the next round, they will still want to finish the competition on a high, ensure they don’t finish bottom in the group, and rectify the sub-par performance against Colombia last time out. So, there is still a lot to play for!
Paraguay Profile
Paraguay were the first nation in the group to be eliminated, having lost to Colombia 2-1 in the opening game and 4-1 to Brazil last time out. Nonetheless, they still have a lot of incentive to win this game, with the dreaded wooden spoon going to the losing team.
Los Guaraníes are the lowest-ranked nation in the group, four places behind Costa Rica at 56th in the FIFA World Rankings. Regardless of their current standing, they harbor a proud footballing history, having won two Copa América titles in the past (in 1953 and 1979). But they have not advanced beyond the quarter-final stage since 2015. They have also reached eight FIFA World Cups, the last in 2010.
Premier League stars Miguel Almiron and Julio Enciso will be Paraguay’s main dangermen. Almiron’s ability to cut in on the right side to his favored left foot is a particularly pronounced threat to Los Tico’s backline. And Enciso’s smart finish against Colombia shows he certainly has an eye for goal.
Los Guaraníes possess a healthy spin, with the experienced center-backs duo Fabián Balbuena and Omar Alderete likely shepherding a physically imposing defense, and Grêmio’s Mathías Villasanti patrolling the midfield.
However, they will be without the suspended midfielder Andrés Cubas, who was shown a straight red in the defeat to Brazil last week after kicking out at Douglas Luiz.
Despite boasting some renowned names in their national squad, recently appointed Argentine head coach (yes, another Argentine head coach; there are seven at this tournament!) Daniel Garnero has imbued little confidence with just two victories in his nine-game tenure. Goalscoring is a major cause for concern for Paraguay, having failed to score more than a single goal in a game since a 2-0 victory over Nicaragua last June and going goalless in four of their previous seven fixtures.
Conceding has also become an increasing problem. Daniel Garnero’s men have conceded six goals in two group fixtures, the second-most at this tournament behind Bolivia (seven) and the most for the national team in a single Copa America group stage since 2001.
Costa Rica Team News
Coach Gustavo Alfaro and the players will be eager to bounce back after last week’s disappointing 3-0 defeat to Colombia. They go into the contest knowing they must win comprehensively to have any chance of progressing to the next round, meaning Alfaro’s side can no longer just sit back and simply try to frustrate the opposition.
Therefore, it is a great blow that leading striker Manfred Ugalde is suspended for the tie after picking up yellow cards against Brazil and Colombia. Still, expect a change of style and personnel in the La Sele lineup, with attackers Andy Rojas and Josimar Alcócer vying for starts.
Possible Starting 11
Sequeira; Mitchell, Vargas, Calvo (C), Quirós, Aguilera, Galo, Lassiter; Alcocer, Rojas, Zamora.
If history is anything to go by, expect a tight affair on Tuesday. The nine previous fixtures between the two nations have resulted in three wins for Costa Rica, three for Paraguay, and three draws. The last meeting ended in a goalless draw in 2016.
Kick-off is at 8:00 p.m. CDT (UTC−5) on July 2nd at the 20,738-seater Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas.
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Isaac Roblett
