Gustavo Alfaro backed Paraguay to challenge Germany vs Paraguay before the match at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, near Boston. He said the same group has already handled top-level tests and should not treat this one as out of reach.
“Ya hemos estado frente a Argentina, frente a Brasil, equipos de la misma envergadura o de mayor envergadura que la que puede tener Alemania,” Alfaro said in the buildup. He added: “Ya los hemos enfrentado y, obviamente, nos ha costado mucho, pero los hemos podido sacar adelante. Así que, ¿por qué no esta?”
Gillette Stadium in Foxborough
The setting matters because Paraguay is not arriving as a team trying to survive the occasion. It reached this point after securing a draw against Australia in its last group-stage match, then moved into the elimination round with the goal of reaching the round of 16.
Alfaro’s message was direct: Paraguay can measure itself against Germany without lowering its own ceiling. The match in Foxborough, near Boston, is the next test of that view.
Defensive strength and criticism
He also defended the defensive approach Paraguay used against Australia. Alfaro said defensive strength would be one of the keys to moving forward in the World Cup, putting structure ahead of style in a knockout setting where one lapse can end the run.
That stance comes with friction. After qualification, he answered criticism of Paraguay's defensive style and pointed to José Luis Chilavert, saying he would have preferred a direct conversation and adding: “Las puertas de la selección las tiene abiertas.”
For Paraguay, the immediate question is not whether it can play open soccer. It is whether the defensive base that carried it through the group stage can hold again when Germany steps into the same field at Gillette Stadium.
