Costa Rica faces Paraguay with the dream of qualifying

On July 2, Gustavo Alfaro's team needs a win to have a chance to advance to the Quarterfinals. They face each other at Q2 in Austin. At the same time, Brazil plays against Colombia. 

July 2, 2024
CONMEBOL Copa América™
  • This July 2, the Group Stage of CONMEBOL Copa América 2024™ will close: Group D will determine its second qualifier for the Quarterfinals, between Brazil (4 points) and Costa Rica (1 point).
  • One of them will join Colombia (6 points), who has already qualified.

Los Ticos face Paraguay at 8 PM in Austin, 9 PM in Paraguay, and 7 PM in Costa Rica. Gustavo Alfaro's team arrives after drawing in the initial match with Brazil and losing to Colombia. Only a Costa Rican win and a defeat of Brazil against Colombia would open an opportunity to qualify for the next stage, which in that case would be decided by a tiebreaker against Dorivál Júnior's team.


It will also be a battle between two Argentine coaches who have known each other for many years: in fact, Garnero debuted as a coach replacing Alfaro at Arsenal de Sarandí.


For Paraguay, it will be their farewell in the tournament after two defeats in previous matches. Daniel Garnero's team wants to earn their first points in CONMEBOL Copa América 2024™.




Where to watch Costa Rica-Paraguay?




The match will start at 7 PM in San José (Costa Rica) and at 9 PM in Asunción (Paraguay). It can be watched as follows:


  • Costa Rica: Teletica, Repretel, TDMAX, TD+
  • Paraguay: Trece, SNT, Telefuturo, Tigo Sports
  • United States: FS1, TUDN, Univision



Costa Rica-Paraguay: History




They have met twice in the world's oldest national team tournament.


  • 1 win for Paraguay
  • 1 draw

1 goal for Paraguay 0 goals for Costa Rica




Facts to consider:




  • Costa Rica has not finished a group stage of CONMEBOL Copa América™ without a victoriy since 1997, the first edition in which they participated (1 draw, 2 losses). Los Ticos have won at least one match in 2001, 2004, 2011, and 2016.
  • Costa Rica averages the youngest starting lineup in CONMEBOL Copa América 2024™ after two matches, with an average age of 24 years and 356 days. Paraguay, their current opponent, has an average age of 28 years and 52 days across the two lineups they fielded in their first matches in this tournament.
  • Andrés Cubas made 10 tackles in CONMEBOL Copa América 2024™, the most for a Paraguayan player in the current tournament after two matches. Since 2015, only three Albirroja players have surpassed that figure in a single edition of the tournament: Richard Ortíz (15) and Víctor Cáceres (17) in 2015, and Alberto Espínola (23) in 2021.

Source: OPTA




Possible lineups:




Costa Rica: Patrick Sequeira; Haxzel Quirós, Jeyland Mitchell, Juan Pablo Vargas, Francisco Calvo Quesada, Ariel Lassiter; Joel Campbell, Orlando Galo, Brandon Aguilera; Álvaro Zamora, Warren Madrigal. Coach: Gustavo Alfaro


Paraguay: Rodrigo Morínigo; Gustavo Velázquez, Fabián Balbuena, Omar Alderete, Matías Espinoza; Hernesto Caballero, Mathías Villasanti; Damián Bobadilla, Julio Enciso, Miguel Almirón; Alex Arce. Coach: Daniel Garnero




Referee appointment:




  • Referee: Yael Falcón (Argentina)
  • Assistant referees: Facundo Rodríguez and Maximiliano del Yesso (Argentina)
  • Fourth official: Ivo Méndez (Bolivia)
  • VAR: Leodán González (Uruguay)



Match information:




  • Match: Costa Rica vs. Paraguay (Group D, Third matchday)
  • Date and time: July 2, 2024, at 8 PM local time (9 PM Paraguay, 7 PM Costa Rica)
  • Stadium: Q2 Stadium, Austin (Texas)



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