Will the experience of Francisco Arce prevail or will the hegemony of Julio César Cáceres continue? It is another of the captivating unknowns to be resolved this Sunday, in the 316th traditional game of local soccer.
The confrontations between the coaches Julio César Cáceres and Francisco Arce, lately became a classic within the classics of Paraguayan soccer.
The duel between both strategists is not one more, taking into account their impeccable trajectories.
In their time as players, the two were great defenders of the Paraguayan team and joined together the legendary defense of the Albirroja in the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, also made up of “Colorado” Carlos Gamarra, Celso “Chito” Ayala and Denis Caniza.
In first division matches, Arce leads Cáceres, 2-1, taking into account the victories of the Ciclón; in Clausura 2021 (1-0), at the Gral. Pablo Rojas stadium and the 4-0 win, of this year’s Apertura, at Defensores del Chaco.
At the League level, the only joy experienced under the command of the “Emperor” also occurred in the 2022 Apertura, when they broke all forecasts and won 2-0, in La Nueva Olla. However, the team of Para Uno, with the “Emperor” as technician, dealt two hard blows to Cerrista pride. The first was in the final of the 2021 Paraguayan Super Cup, when the Dean beat the Cyclone without mitigating factors, by a resounding 3 to 1 and won the first edition of that Cup held in our football.
The second hit was staged in the current edition of the Copa Libertadores, when Cerro Porteño and Olimpia met again in that competition after 23 years.
In the first leg, when the fringed team was local, they tied (0-0) at the Defensores del Chaco stadium. And in the rematch, as a visitor, again the “Cáceres boys” took La Nueva Olla by storm and beat their staunch rival, 1-0.
The controversy arose in injury time when Claudio Aquino wasted a penalty that could have left the Dean out of any international competition, of course the Olympic goalkeeper Gastón Oliveira had a lot to do with deflecting the shot.
Thanks to the fact that the 1-0 was not changed, Olimpia jumped to the Copa Sudamericana and Cerro Porteño had no choice but to run into the almighty Palmeiras in the round of 16 of the Libertadores.
Adding up all the games, Cáceres and Arce met six times and the Olympian came out victorious three times, against two alegrías cerristas and one tie.
Two heavyweights, with a lot of history, will face each other on Sunday, who will celebrate?
