STARTING XI
REMAINING SQUAD MEMBERS
3 best players not in the squad:
5 players make it from the Paraguay team that won their 2nd Copa America in 1979. They beat Brazil 3-2 to win their first in 1953 - these were the country's two biggest achievements. I was comfortable with the starting 5 in defence, but it was difficult to find reserve full-backs for this team. I looked into Juan Espinola as a back-up right-back, merely because he was the starter in Paraguay's 1979 Copa America win. He played 20 times for Paraguay, but he didn't stand out as an elite player particularly. So I chose Gavilan instead. He is usually listed as playing as a right-halve, and was typically referred to in more modern terms as a defender rather than a midfielder. He scored in the 3-2 win in the 1953 final against Brazil. Bria and Talavera are enough to cover the deeper midfield 3, while I think Almiron has probably earnt his spot to be back-up to Gonzalez's attacking-midfield/second-striker role. He has become a key player for Newcastle, and also gives me a wide option for the squad. I narrowly chose Delfin Benitez Caceres to start ahead of Eulogio Martinez upfront, who was the hardest player to leave out the starting XI. Delfin's strike partner, Arsenio Erico, is probably the best ever South American outside of Brazil, Argentina & Uruguay, the 3 World Cup winning nations from the continent. Di Stefano considered him one of the greatest players of all-time. Martinez and Cayetano Re cover these striker positions, and I chose Gustavo Pena as my final pick for an extra wide option in the squad. Players by Decade: 1990's (4), 1970's (4), 1960's (4), 1930's (3), 1980's (2), 1950's (2), 1920's (2), 2020's (1), 1940's (1) Top 10 Paraguayan Players of All-Time (World Class Players in Bold - 6)
(& their all-time positional rank)
|