After a historic performance in the 2010 World Cup, and a second place finish in the last Copa America, things crumbled apart for the Paraguayans. After Gerardo Martino's resignation as coach, the red-and-white side has struggled to find a suitable coach to lead them to the heights they were getting used to, and the team hit its lowest point after finishing dead last in the 2014 World Cup Qualifiers. After such a disappointing display, former River Plate coach Ramon Díaz will try to provide his team with all his experience, so that they can start looking up once again in the South American football scene.
What does history tell us about Paraguay's Copa America performances?
Los Guaraníes have played 34 editions of the South American tournament, being able to lift the trophy in the 1953 and 1979 editions. Since then, the Paraguayan side has been frequently eliminated in the Quarter-final stage, with the exception of the 1983 edition, where they lost in the semi-finals, and the 2011 tournament, when they lost the Final against Uruguay. Curiously enough, La Albirroja is the team with the most drawn games in the history of the tournament, with 35 games ending up with an even score.
Paraguay showed great defensive skills during the last edition of the tournament, but they were not able to stop Luis Suarez and Diego Forlan in the final.
Paraguay's top players to watch
Ramon Diaz called up a mixture of rising stars with some seasoned veterans to help re-build the Paraguayan side, and this will be their first international test. One of those experienced players will be Roque Santa Cruz, the all-time scoring leader for Los Guaraníes. The former Bayern Munich player has struggled all year with injuries, but he might be able to contribute properly for his National Team. Added to Santa Cruz's international experience, center back Paulo da Silva will want to add more games to his all-time leading 122 caps for Paraguay. Helping the two historic players will be Raul Bobadilla, who had his breakthrough season with Augsburg in the past 12 months.
Roque Santa Cruz, perhaps in his last Copa America, will try to bring back the good old days for Paraguay.
Paraguay's Copa America roster
Goalkeepers: Justo Villar, Antony Silva, Alfredo Aguilar.
Defenders: Paulo Da Silva, Pablo Aguilar, Fabián Balbuena, Marcos Cáceres, Bruno Valdez, Iván Piris, Miguel Samudio.
Midfielders: Víctor Cáceres, Néstor Ortigoza, Osvaldo Martínez, Richard Ortiz, Osmar Molinas, Eduardo Aranda, Oscar Romero.
Strikers: Roque Santa Cruz, Nelson Haedo, Raúl Bobadilla, Lucas Barrios, Edgar Benítez, Derlis González.
Ramon Díaz accepted quite a responsibility when he agreed to coach La Albirroja. Will he be able to return them to the top?
When and Where to watch Paraguay's Copa America 2015 matches
Keep accurate track of Paraguay's 2015 progress. Bookmark the country's soccer page on LiveSoccerTV.com for live stream info, channels and other details!
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
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