The attacker Julio Enciso He scored a medium distance goal with which Paraguay extended his idyll under the leadership of Gustavo Alfaro With eight outputs without defeat, and tied 2-2 in Barranquilla with Colombiathat deepened his crisis and already adds four games without winning.
The draw at the Barranquilla Metropolitan Stadium, for the fourteenth day of the South American Qualifiers to the 2026 World Cup, was the eighth game without losses for the Albirroja, which is fifth with 21 points, while the cafes are sixth with 20.
The Colombians, led by Néstor Lorenzo, had taken the advantage with the scoring of Luis Díaz and Jhon Jader Durán, while the Paraguayans matched with the goals of Junior Alonso and Enciso.
The locals opened the scoring in a collective play in the first minute in which the side Daniel Muñoz, Durán and the midfielders Richard Ríos and Jhon Arias participated, who enabled with a pass to Díaz, who got rid of a hitch from Fabián Valbuena and took out a right impossible to stop for Roberto Fernández.
The goal, however, did not bite the Albirroja who began attacking by Miguel Almirón and Enciso, while Gabriel Ávalos began to be a headache for the Colombian centrals, Jhon Lucumí and Carlos Cuesta.
Despite the Paraguayan insistence, Colombia expanded its advantage very soon, at 13, in a lethal counterattack initiated by Arias that passed through James Rodríguez’s feet and came to Díaz, who leaked between two rivals so that Durán, in the hand in hand, defeated veteran Fernández.
The clearest of Paraguay after the goal reached 15 in a play in which Ávalos pivoted and enabled Almirón, who already with goalkeeper Camilo Vargas defeated was bothered and took out a shot that passed by touching the right post.
Those led by Alfaro continued to attack and managed to discount at the close of the first stage in a corner kick released by Diego Gómez that passed over the world, including goalkeeper Camilo Vargas, and Alonso remained to give air to a team that did not give half attack in Barranquilla.
In the second half, the Albirroja went out to look for a tie with everything, again led by Almirón and Enciso, given the defensive insecurity of Colombia, which was increasingly played closer to the goal of Vargas.
In that context, the 62 minute arrived when firch received outside the area, he got rid of three rivals, he found space in the central area and took out a medium distance right that stuck in the upper left corner of the local goal.
The play was suspended for several minutes while Argentine referee Facundo Tello reviewed the VAR, along with one of his attendees, for an assumption out of the scorer at the beginning of the play, after which he ended up validating the goal.
Without James on the court, because he left just before Enciso, Colombia wore entangled and had many difficulties to approach Fernández’s goal again, while Paraguay retreated and looked comfortable in this context.
In the end, without much creativity despite the flashes of Díaz and the steering wheel Jaminton Campaz, the hosts attacked but failed to break the concentrated Paraguayan defense, which took a new point and every day is closer to ensuring its classification to the 2026 World Cup thanks to the good moment he lives under the direction of Alfaro.
Read too
TECHNICAL SHEET:
2. Colombia: Camilo Vargas; Daniel Muñoz, Carlos Cuesta, Jhon Lucumí, Johan Mojica; Jefferson Lerma, Richard Ríos (m.62, Jaminton Campaz), Jhon Arias (m.62, Yerry Mina), James Rodríguez; Luis Díaz and Jhon Jader Durán.
Selector: Néstor Lorenzo.
2. Paraguay: Roberto Junior Fernández; Juan Cáceres (m.46, Gustavo Velásquez), Fabián Balbuena, Omar Alderete, Junior Alonso; Andrés Cubas, Diego Gómez (m.90+3, Ángel Romero), Matías Galarza (m.74, Mathias Villasanti), Miguel Almirón; Julio Enciso (M.73, Ramón Sosa) and Gabriel Ávalos (m.62, Antonio Sanabria)
Selector: Gustavo Alfaro.
Goals: 1-0, M.1: Luis Díaz. 2-0, M.13: Jhon Jader Durán. 2-1, M: 45+3: Junior Alonso. 2-2, M: 62: July Enciso.
Referee: The Argentine Facundo Tello. He admonished Matías Galarza, Luis Díaz, Roberto Junior Fernández, Gustavo Velásquez, Jaminton Campaz and Andrés Cubas.
Incidents: Party of Day 14 of the South American Qualifiers to the 2026 World Cup played at the Roberto Meléndez de Barranquilla Metropolitan Stadium.
