Julio Enciso leaves Paraguay’s 4-0 win injured and in tears
julio enciso left Paraguay’s 4-0 friendly win over Nicaragua in the first half on Friday night in Asunción after hurting his right leg and leaving the field in a camilla and in tears. The injury arrived during a match Paraguay used as World Cup preparation, with the team set to open the tournament on Friday, June 12, against the United States.
Defensores del Chaco exit
Enciso felt discomfort near the adductor area of his right leg after a challenge from behind that was not called a foul. He went to the grass, could not continue, and Mauricio Magalhaes came on in his place at the Defensores del Chaco.
That exit came in the 21st minute, only five minutes after Alejandro Romero Gamarra had opened the scoring on a penalty. Paraguay still handled the rest of the night, but the substitution changed the focus of the friendly immediately.
Paraguay kept scoring
Paraguay finished with four goals anyway. Miguel Almirón made it 2-0 in the 41st minute, Matías Galarza added the third in the 61st, and Alexandro Maidana completed the scoring in the 66th.
The result gave Gustavo Alfaro’s side a clean win, but the bigger concern sat on the bench. Enciso, 22, belongs to Racing de Estrasburgo and has four goals in 32 matches for Paraguay. He also started 13 World Cup qualifying matches and is treated as an undisputed starter under Alfaro, which is why any leg problem lands so close to the team’s tournament plans.
June 12 pressure
Paraguay’s World Cup debut comes against the United States at 22:00 Argentine time in Inglewood, California. The group schedule continues against Turkey on June 20 and Australia on June 25 in Group D, so the next stretch leaves little room for a prolonged absence if the injury proves serious.
For Paraguay, the question now is not the 4-0 scoreline. It is whether one of its most established starters can recover in time to take part in the match that starts the country’s World Cup campaign.
