The talent of players such as Jessica Martínez, Fany Gauto or Rebeca Fernández has overwhelmed the Colombian fields during the Copa América and their emergence has been a turning point for women’s football in Paraguay, which can take advantage of what has been experienced in the continental tournament to continue growing .
The project is led by an old acquaintance of women’s football, the Brazilian Marcello Frigério, who is backed by three decades of experience in different teams around the world and who has marked the destiny of the Albirroja with his stamp.
In the tournament, the strategist and his team reached the semifinals after a difficult group stage in which they lost 4-2 to Colombia in their debut, but raised their heads and beat Chile 3-2, Bolivia 2-0 and 1 -2 to Ecuador.
Precisely in that last game of the opening round they proved their worth, because in addition to the attacking talent of Martínez, Gauto and Fernández, the team found support in the work of defenders María Martínez and Verónica Riveros, who withstood the onslaught of the Tri.
EVOLUTION
For Frigério, “Paraguay evolved a lot” because “classifying to the semifinals showed great growth.” La Albirroja had only played the final phase of the tournament in one of its six participations, in the 2006 edition, which was fourth.
“Beating Chile, the runner-up, and also being able to beat a well-worked team like Ecuador is progress. This team from Paraguay is very special, these girls grew up together, they played together since they were little”, she expressed.
And it is that without going any further, in the previous edition of the Copa América Femenina, the team that was led by Rubén Subeldía was eliminated in the group stage by Colombia and Chile.
However, today there are players from that team who continued with the process and became figures in the Copa América in Colombia, as is the case of goalkeeper Alicia Bobadilla, midfielders Jessica Martínez and Fabiola Sandoval, and midfielder Fanny Godoy, who have shown on the field the experience acquired in the last four years.
UNITED TEAM
As a result of their good performances, the Paraguayans secured their qualification for the Pan American Games in Santiago 2023 and, at least, go to the World Cup playoffs that will be played in New Zealand in February of next year.
Much of the success, say the players, is the product of the union shown by the group throughout the tournament. After the defeat against Brazil, a match in which the team also withstood Canarinha’s onslaught, Paraguay shared dinner in the locker room and the players highlighted what they had done in the semifinals.
“We have one more step, nothing is lost, nothing is lost. We will have revenge, soccer gives you that, revenge (…) I can’t find words to express the pride I feel, “said veteran Verónica Riveros, who plays for Brazilian San José.
Thus, the Albirroja will play the great opportunity to qualify directly for the World Cup against Argentina. The hope is deposited in the route made during the tournament and in the talent of Gauto, Martínez and Fernández, who will do whatever it takes to take the tricolor flag to the top.
