Domínguez increases the pressure on FIFA for the 2030 World Cup

1979, a year left marked forever in the history of soccer and sports in Paraguay.

The selection soccer team prepared for that edition of the Copa América with the firm objective of being the great protagonist of the tournament and achieving the second title in history.

With hierarchy players, the Albirroja coach, Ranulfo Miranda, put together a good base to start on August 29, 1979 his journey towards the second conquest.

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Paraguay shared group 3 with Ecuador and Uruguay. On August 29 was the premiere against the Ecuadorian national team at the Atahualpa, where our beloved Albirroja won 2-1, with goals from Alicio Solalinde and Hugo Ricardo Talavera. The second game was on September 13 at the De los Defensores del Chaco stadium where the National Team defeated Ecuador 2-0 with goals from Eugenio Morel and Juvencio Osorio.

Later, it was the turn to face the Uruguayan National Team, where the classification to the semifinals of the Cup would be defined. On September 20 at Defensores, the match ended with a 0-0 draw, leaving everything for the next game in Montevideo. On September 26, at the mythical Centenario stadium, La Albirroja equalized 2-2, with two goals from Eugenio Morel, a result that qualified Paraguay to the semifinal.

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GREAT MATCHES AGAINST BRAZIL

In the other bracket of the final, Chile left defending champion Peru on the road to advance to the final. The Paraguayan National Team faced the always candidate Brazil. On October 24, against a packed Defensores del Chaco, the Albirroja beat the Verdeamarelho team 2-1, with the memorable goal from Eugenio Morel’s Chilean kick and a goal from Hugo Ricardo Talavera.

A week later, on October 31, Paraguay with grit and heart, and at the Maracaná stadium drew a great tie that led them to the great definition. Milciades Morel and Julio César Romero were the Paraguayan scorers that allowed us to be in the great definition against the trans-Andean team.

THE FINAL

The 1979 Copa América final found Paraguay wanting to become champion again after 26 years. The first game was recorded on November 26 at the De los Defensores del Chaco stadium, where the Albirroja forcefully beat the Chileans 3-0 with two goals from Julio César Romero and one from Milciades Morel.

The rematch was played at the National Stadium in Santiago on December 5, where the National Team could not beat the trans-Andean team and fell 1-0. Given equal points, the Copa América would be resolved in a third game and in the event of parity the team with the greatest goal difference would be champion, an advantage that Paraguay had.

The decisive match was played on Tuesday, December 11, 1979 at the José Amalfitani stadium (‘El Fortín’), in Buenos Aires, Argentina. With 0-0 as the final result, for the second chance we shout Champions of America!

Paraguay played 9 games in that edition of the Copa América, where they won 4 games, drew 4 and lost only 1. They scored 13 goals and conceded 7 goals. Eugenio Morel was the top scorer in the championship with 4 conquests.

THE SQUAD

– Isabelino Acosta (Sun of America)

– Osvaldo Aquino (Olympia)

– Alejandrino Arce (National)

– Alcides Báez (Freedom)

– Roberto Cabañas (Cerro Porteño)

– Cristín Cibils (Cerro Porteño)

– Arecio Colmán (Freedom)

– Fermin Escobar (Freedom)

– Juan Carlos Espinola (Freedom)

– Roberto Fernández (Cerro Porteño)

– Pedro Nelson Fleitas (Freedom)