The football team Paraguay won on Tuesday 2-1 against its counterpart Mexico in a preparation match for the World Cup thanks to the goals of Antonio Sanabria and Damián Bobadilla. For Mexico, which will be one of the hosts of the World Cup, along with the United States and Canada, Raúl Jiménez discounted.
In the match played at the Alamodome stadium in San Antonio, Texas, Paraguay, which qualified for the World Cup as sixth in the South American qualifying round, took the lead in the 48th minute when Sanabria took advantage of an exit by goalkeeper Luis Ángel Malagón to sweep and finish off a cross sent from the left sector. Mexico tied in the 54th minute with a penalty that Jiménez scored. The Paraguayan team scored the winning goal in the 59th minute through Bobadilla, who defined with a header.
Aguirre, upset with some of his players
“I see things that I don’t like; you think you have overcome them and with the negative result you realize that you haven’t. We always try to rescue things and defeat teaches us that we are on the right path, although not where we want to be,” said ‘Vasco’ Aguirre in a press conference. The coach, who led Mexico to the round of 16 in the 2002 and 2010 World Cups, was critical and accepted that the Paraguayans’ victory could have been larger. “I’m not going to individualize, but it’s clear that there are players who can and want to and others who want but can’t afford it.”
TECHNICAL SHEET
1 – Mexico: Luis Malagón; Israel Reyes (Kevin Álvarez m.67), Édson Álvarez, Jesús Orozco (Johan Vásquez m.60), Mateo Chávez (Jesús Gallardo m.60); Erick Lira, Orbelín Pineda, Gilberto Mora (Armando González m.67), Marcel Ruiz (Erick Sánchez m.73), Raúl Jiménez, Jorge Ruvalcaba (Roberto Alvarado m.60).
2 – Paraguay: Orlando Gill; Gustavo Velázquez, Alexis Duarte, Alan Benítez, Agustín Sandez; Diego Gómez (Damián Bobadilla m.46), Braian Ojeda (Lucaz Romero m.92), Matías Galarza (Junior Alonso m.82), Miguel Almirón (Julio Enciso m.46), Ramón Sosa (Diego González m.68), Antonio Sanabria (Alex Arce m.68).
Goals: 0-1, Antonio Sanabria (m. 48); 1-1, Raúl Jiménez (m. 54); 1-2, Damián Bobadilla (m. 56)
Referee: Joe Dickerson, from the United States. He reprimanded Erick Lira, Raúl Jiménez, Orbelín Pineda; Alan Benítez, Agustín Sandez and Orlando Gill.
Incidents: Friendly match between the teams of Mexico and Paraguay, held at the Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas.
He goalless draw last Saturday with Uruguay and the setback against Paraguay have created a divorce between the team and the fans, which Aguirre understood. “I’m not going to criticize the public, I can’t do it, I don’t want to and I shouldn’t; they are free and the players must show character. Anyone who is not prepared to be booed and criticized is no good for being here,” he said.
