This weekend was spent in Mexico at the Coatzacoalcos Carnaval so I haven’t watched a single game, the following is therefore a brief round up drawn from the reports I’ve read. I also defer Player of the Week and Team of the Week suggestions to you, my faithful readers – vote by making a comment below or tell me on Twitter!
Main games
Guaraní vs Olimpia
Estadio Defensores del Chaco
(0-0) 0-1 – Pablo Zeballos 51’
Football returned to the Defensores del Chaco with the clásico añejo decided by the only goal, Pablo Zeballos registered his third strike in as many games to win the match. Guaraní had the better of the first half but couldn’t make an impact, it took Olimpia just six minutes of the second period to mark the difference. El Decano were never likely to surrender their lead, even less so when Luis De La Cruz was shown his second yello card to reduce the aborigen to ten men.
The win ensured Olimpia would remain top of the table ahead of their big game with Flamengo in the Copa Libertadores this week.
Guaraní XI: J.Silva; T.Bartomeus, L.Cabral, J.Manzur, E.Marecos; L.De la Cruz, M.Palau, D.Figueredo, D.Ocampo; N.Romero, F.Escobar
Subs: E.Filippini for T.Bartomeus, D.Lopez for F.Escobar, O.Ruiz for N.Romero
Olimpia XI: M.Silva; F.Nájera, A.Romero, E.Meza, S.Ariosa; E.Aranda, O.Hobecker, S.Orteman , V.Marín; P.Zeballos, L.Caballero
Subs: M.Biancucchi for L.Caballero, C.Paredes for O.Hobecker, R.Reveredo for E.Aranda
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Sol de América vs Sportivo Luqueño
Estadio Luis Gigani
(1-2) 2-3 – Enzo Prono 14’, Roberto Martinez 46’; Pablo Gimenez 30’, Juan Abente 38’, Guido Di Vanni 64’
Sol vs Luque
A goal fest in Villa Elisa as the drop in temperature allowed football to replace suffering in this early kick off. Enzo Prono got a much needed goal early on to boost his confidence and open the scoring for the third time this year for the Danzarín. However Sol were undone by two Luque responses before the break. Pablo Gimenez got the first and then Juan Abente just after entering the field of play as a substitute scored in an 8 minute spell to put the Kuré in front as they look to haul themeselves out of the promedio. Straight after the restart Ricardo Martinez equalised for Sol before young striker Guido Di Vanni scored his third of the season to improve his already rising stock.
Sol de América XI: M. Santilli; R. Bonet, R. Martínez, D. Arrúa, D.Ciz; R.Ocampo, Á.Enciso, E.Orzusa, W.Mendieta; E.Prono, J. Ortigoza
Subs: C.Dominguez for E.Orzusa, M.Duré for W.Mendieta
Sportivo Luqueño XI: É.Caballero; C. Vargas, R.Bogado, P.Aguilar, S.Vergara; É.Robles, J.Brítez, J.P.Raponi, C.Cáceres Cañete; P.Gímenez, G.Di Vanni
Subs: J.Abente for J.P.Raponi, Y.Cano for P.Gímenez, N.Cuevas for C.Cáceres Cañete
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Tacuary vs Cerro Porteño
Estadio Defensores del Chaco
(2-2) 2-4 – Jorge Ortega 21’ & 26’; Edgar Benitez 31’ & 58’, Santiago Salcedo 43’, Jonathan Fabbro 90’
Cerro scoring four goals and winning is no surprise but it was a shock to see them go behind on 21 minutes and alarm bells were ringing in the azulgrana ranks when they were two goals down just five minutes later. Jorge Ortega the impressive young striker was the author of both strikes as he moves onto four for the season, equalling his tally in last year’s Clausura.
But Cerro’s lethal attacking combination was enough to put them into the break on level terms, Edgar Benitez has been the best player of the Apertura so far and his goal was accompanied by teammate’s Santiago Salcedo’s. Benitez grabbed another on 58 minutes as Cerro completed the remarkable turnaround. It was only left for Jonathan Fabbro, now relegated to ‘supersub’ status by Mario Grana, to complete the scoring in the final minute to seal victory.
Tacuary XI: C.Servín; G.Giménez, P.Espinoza, D.Viera, M.Acosta Rojas; P.Palacios, L.Silva, J.Ortega, S.Alvarenga; R.Román; D.Centurión
Subs: G.Vieira for P.Palacios, C.Mora for S.Alvarenga, E.Ortiz for R.Román
Cerro Porteño XI: D.Barreto; M.Corujo, M.Uglessich, L.Cardozo, W.López; J.Rojas, J.Dos Santos, A. González y É. Benítez; S.Salcedo, R.Nanni
Subs: P.Benitez for W.Lopez, J.Fabbro for R.Nanni, F.Oviedo for J.Dos Santos
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OFF THE BALL
Player of the Week: Was it Jorge Ortega for his two goals or Pajaro Benitez for his double, Martin Silva for another superman display? Vote for these players or anybody you feel deserves the award below!
Team of the Week: As above open to your suggestions, post them below!
Stat of the Week: 435.195.000 guaranies, just over 100.000 US dollars were the combined gate receipts from the two games at the Defensores del Chaco at the weekend. The national team stadium makes a welcome return as it was Guaraní and Tacuary who were the ‘home’ teams to profit.
Primera Results: Nacional 2-1 Cerro PF, Rubio Ñu 2-1 Independiente, Guaraní 0-1 Olimpia, Sol de América 2-3 Luque, Tacuary 2-4 Cerro Porteño, Libertad 1-1 Carapeguá
Intermedia Results: 3 de Febrero 4-2 Gral. Caballero, Atl. River Plate 0-2 Dvo. Santaní, Atl. Colegiales 1-1 Dvo. Capiatá, Gral. Diaz 1-0 Sport Colombia, Sp. San Lorenzo 1-0 Resistencia, Sp. Trinidense 0-1 Sp. 2 de Mayo, Sp. Iteño 1-1 Paranaense, 29 de Septiembre 1-0 Fndo. de la Mora
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By Ralph Hannah
The Paraguay Football Blog 
You know I’m not a fan of Joel Silva of Guarani, but he had an excellent game against Olimpia this weekend. Either of the Silva’s could be in the TotW. Echevarria at Carapegua scored again! Shows he deserves his place in the national squad. And Toro was immense on his birthday! I’d give him the player of the week above Jorge Ortega, who you know I rate highly.
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