Paraguay 2-2 Qatar
I told you SBOBET fans that this Copa America clash was worth staying up for!
A meeting between the Paraguayan team, twice winner of the Copa América yet desperately out of form, against the young and fearless champions of Asia – all played against the backdrop of the world famous Maracana stadium in Rio De Janeiro.
Copa America highlights were guaranteed surely? For once, I was right!
Highlights of the game
The Copa America betting odds suggested a Paraguay success and for much of this contest they looked like being correct too.
Indeed, Eduardo Berizzo’s men were rewarded for a bold start with the opening goal arriving just four minutes in.
Miguel Almiron and Santiago Arzamendia had already fired efforts in on goal and Bruno Valdez had seen an header blocked before Pedro Miguel blocked a Bruno Valdez header with his arm in the penalty area.
Cue veteran Oscar Cardozo, playing in his first Copa America since 2007, who made no mistake from the spot to give Paraguay an early advantage.
It was just the start Qatar would have wanted to avoid in their tournament debut and it took them a while to get into the match as Cecilio Dominguez went close to adding a second from outside of the box.
Then, finally, a sign the champions of Asia could come to life as only the thickness of a post prevented Hassan Al Haydos from netting a 16th minute leveller.
The respite was brief as Cardozo saw a shot blocked and Hernan Perez called Qatar goalkeeper Saad AlSheeb into action.
There were signs Qatar were getting back into the match before the break when Abdelaziz Hatim and Almoez Ali, the star of their Asian Cup triumph, forced Gatito Fernandez to make saves.
Paraguay thought they had doubled their lead early in the second period only for VAR to rule Derlis Gonzalez was offside as he ran onto a Fabian Balbuena pass.
However Gonzalez was not to be denied, lashing the ball into the top corner from an Almiron pass minutes later to put Paraguay firmly in the ascendancy.
Qatar needed a goal to test their opponents’ vulnerability. When they got two in the space of 10 minutes they were in dreamland.
First, Ali produced a special moment and another glimpse of his talent on the world stage with a right footed shot from outside the box into the top right corner for his country’s first ever goal in the Copa America.
Then Boualem Khoukhi found the same corner following a through ball from Akram Afif and suddenly Paraguay were on the ropes.
The backtracking Rodrigo Rojas actually got the final touch, nodding the ball over his own line before getting tangled in the net and seemingly damaging his shoulder.
Cardozo tested Al Sheeb in the closing stages but that was as close as either side got to grabbing a winner.
A thoroughly entertaining draw but one the Asian Cup winners will be happier with. A potentially priceless point with the big guns in this group still to come.
Key statistics
At the age of 36 years and 27 days, Cardozo became become the third oldest player to ever score in a Copa America game, after Mexico’s Rafael Marquez (37years 123days) and Peru’s Claudio Pizarro (36years 256days).
Copa America 2019 marks Paraguay’s 21st consecutive appearance in this tournament, the longest ongoing run of all sides; they last failed to appear in 1957, when they withdrew.
Qatar are the ninth participant in the Copa America history outside of CONMEBOL, and second outside of the Americas (Japan, Mexico, Costa Rica, USA, Honduras, Panama, Jamaica and Haiti).
Paraguay have just eight wins in 33 matches since reaching the semi-finals in 2015.
They raised the trophy of the tournament in 1953 and 1979. These two titles, together with the silver medal at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, are the greatest achievements of the Guarani team.
Although Paraguay reached at least the semi-finals in two of the last three editions of the Copa América (final in 2011 and semi-finals in 2015), they won only one of the 15 matches played in those competitions (nine draws and five defeats).
This was the first competitive meeting between these nations.They had previously met in three friendlies over 33 years with one win apiece and one draw.
What’s next?
It’s big ones next up for both sides in this group.
Qatar meet in-form Colombia while Paraguay face Argentina on Wednesday night/Thursday morning (June 19 & 20 British time).
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