Paraguay travel to Montevideo for the vital World Cup Qualifier on Thursday looking to win in the Uruguayan capital for the first time in over 20 years. This will be the Albirroja’s 51st game there almost 100 years since the first meeting in November 1921, a 4-2 friendly loss against the Celeste. It will be Paraguay’s 30th game against Uruguay in the capital and have previously won seven encounters. Here we look back chronologically at the seven WCQs played between these sides.
1957 Uruguay 2-0 Paraguay
The first meeting was the final game of the 1958 qualifiers with the Albirroja arriving in high spirits having thrashed their opponents 5-0 just two weeks previously in Asunción. Florencio Amarilla, then still based locally at Nacional, netted a hattrick which is something that wouldn’t be repeated in WCQs until José “Pepe” Cardozo did the same against Uruguay but also in Asunción in 2003. With Aureliano González’s side already qualified for the World Cup in Sweden it might not be a surprise that their only loss of the campaign was this one, Eladio Benítez scored early on for the home side before William Martínez put some shine on the result with an 89th minute goal.
1996 Uruguay 0-2 Paraguay
The two sides successfully avoided each other in qualifying campaigns until the introduction of the current round-robin format ahead of the 1998 World Cup in France. The Albirroja came into the game on June 2nd having lost their home opener in April to Colombia, meanwhile the Charrua’s had picked up a routine win away to Venezuela. But this match was very a coming-of-age for the graduates from the much celebrated 1992 Olympic team. Carlos Gamarra, Celso Ayala and Francisco Arce had all been in that defence and kept a cleansheet here, marshalled by the legendary José Luis Chilavert in goal. It was Arce who started the scoring with a wonderful freekick after just 10 minutes to settle the nerves. As Uruguay kept searching for an equalizer, coming close when captain Bengoechea struck the foot of the post with a dipping volley, they left space in behind. Paraguay capitalized in the dying minutes with substitute Arístides Rojas rounding off a 3 vs 2 counter attack.
2001 Uruguay 0-1 Paraguay
This was the 11th game of the 2002 qualifiers but the first that year (2001) as Paraguay hoped to continue their excellent WCQ form which had seen them stay unbeaten for the previous six matches including a win over Brazil and draws away to Argentina & Bolivia in La Paz. The hosts dominated with Chilavert having to pull off a string of important saves, but it was a goalkeeping error the other end that handed the victory to the visitors. Paolo Montero’s backpass to Fabián Carini was miscued by the stopper and José “Pepe” Cardozo had time and space to pick out Cerro Porteño’s Guido Alvarenga for his first ever goal for the Guaranies.
2004 Uruguay 1-0 Paraguay
Another typically tense game between these sides as had become, and Uruguay came out on top just as they had done in the Copa América encounter just a few months before in Peru. The Albirroja played a defensive style in these qualifiers under Aníbal Ruiz and managed to frustrate their old rivals for most of the game. But Juventus’ central defender Paolo Montero steamed in at the back post to head home from a corner, Caniza and Paredes couldn’t keep him out.
2009 Uruguay 2-0 Paraguay
Five years later and both sides were much changed for this contest, ushering in exciting new generations of players. Uruguay had formed the Suárez and Forlán partnership and the pair combined for the opening goal, the Pistolero latching onto a long diagonal pass and wrong-footing Paulo Da Silva to feed Forlán. The then Toluca-based centre-back was found wanting again late into the second half as the captain Diego Lugano outjumped him at the far post heading in a freekick.
2013 Uruguay 1-1 Paraguay
On reflection it is surprising to think that the Albirroja’s only point earned in the last 20 years in Montevideo was during their catastrophic campaign when they finished bottom of the World Cup Qualifying table. Once again it was Luis Suárez causing problems, he eventually opened the scoring with a stunning volley from Nicolas Lodeiro’s cross. It looked like the Albirroja would come away with nothing yet again but they were rescued by the substitute Edgar “Pajaro” Benítez. Godín and Lugano had both attacked a hopeful punt with the latter inadvertantly flicking the ball on for a grateful Benítez.
2016 Uruguay 4-0 Paraguay
The memory of the most recent meeting between these two sides is a harrowing one for the fans of the red and white, their heaviest ever defeat in WCQs equalling the loss by the same scoreline against Colombia in 2001. Once again Luis Suárez was a nightmare, he had two assists and won a penalty which he converted himself. The plaudits also went to his new partner Edinson Cavani, the matador scored twice and would finish topscorer in the qualifiers.
Only three players survive that defeat, the Romero twins Óscar and Ángel who started in the rain that day and Miguel Almirón who came on as a sub. Let’s hope that this new generation can reverse two difficult decades in the Uruguayan capital.
The Paraguay Football Blog 