Paraguay come from behind to beat Bolivia in Group A

Paraguay came from behind in their CONMEBOL Copa America 2021 opener against Bolivia to win 3-1 at the Estádio Olí­mpico de Goiânia.

Erwin Saavedra gave Bolivia the lead while Alejandro Romero Gamarra and two goals from an impressive Ángel Romero helped Paraguay complete a strong second half comeback.

Paraguay dominated the first half of the game with Miguel Almirón and Ángel Romero particularly influential. They worked various chances but were unable to convert. Bolivia kept it level and then surprised their opponents as they took the lead themselves.

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Arzamendia blocked a Bejarano shot with his hand on the eighth minute and the referee pointed to the spot. Saavedra made no mistake and Bolivia were ahead.

Just before the break young forward Cuéllar, who had committed multiple fouls, received a second yellow for a clash with Piris da Motta as the pair competed for the ball.

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With a man advantage the game would be attack against defense for the second half but Paraguay just couldn’t get it over the line.

With 16 minutes gone int the second half Romero Gamarra tried his luck from range and his powerful striker beat Cordano in the Bolivian goal to make it 1-1.

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With Bolivia’s defense finally breached the second came shortly after. Cordano failed to clear a González header from the box and Ángel Romero finished from close range.

The talented young forward would add his second and Paraguay’s third from a tight angle later.

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In the next round of games Bolivia will meet Chile on Friday at the Arena Pantanal in Cuiabá while Paraguay can rest and won’t return to action until 21 June, when they meet Argentina at the Estadio Mané Garrincha in Brasilia.

NUMBERS FROM THE GAME

• Paraguay has only lost one of the eleven games they have played against Bolivia in the CONMEBOL Copa América (8 win, 2 draws). Their one defeat came in 1963 played in Bolivia. They are unbeaten in their last 4 games against Bolivia (2 wins, 2 draws).

• Bolivia opened the scoring in today’s game from the penalty spot, breaking a streak of three consecutive games without scoring against the Paraguay in the CONMEBOL Copa América. The last goal they scored against Paraguay in the tournament came in March 1963.

• Ángel Romero is the first Paraguayan player to score twice in a Copa América game since Salvador Cabañas (2) and Roque Santa Cruz (3) in the 2007 edition during a 5-0 win against Colombia.

• Alejandro Romero Gamarra created 10 goalscoring opportunities for Paraguay. No player has created as many chances (passes leading to a shot) in a CONMEBOL Copa América match since 2007.

• Paraguay had 34 attempts on goal against Bolivia. This is the most for any team in a CONMEBOL Copa América match since 2007. In fact, no team has had more than 30 shots during this period.

Data: OPTA