Colombia’s Unbeatable Streak Continues: Can They Overcome Paraguay and Referee Curse

The most recent encounter between Valenzuela and Colombia was on Matchday 2 of the current World Cup Qualifiers, resulting in a 0-0 draw against Chile.

Valenzuela’s unfortunate record with Colombia began during the road to Russia 2018, with a 1-1 draw against Brazil in Barranquilla on September 5, 2017.

He is also remembered for the Copa América semifinals in 2021, where Valenzuela allowed Argentine goalkeeper Dibu Martínez to handle the penalty shootout, leading to high tensions and heated exchanges between the Argentine and Colombian players.

However, the most painful memories for Colombia are the 6-1 defeat against Ecuador in Chile during the Qatar 2022 qualifiers, and the unexpected 0-1 loss to Peru in the same qualifiers.

Colombia, an Unbeatable Force

Colombia, led by winger “Lucho” Díaz, is the only South American team that remains undefeated in the current qualifying round. They have defeated Venezuela and Brazil, and secured draws against Chile, Uruguay, and Ecuador.

Under the guidance of Argentine coach Néstor Lorenzo since mid-2022, Colombia has gone unbeaten in 13 games, including both official matches and friendlies. Since Lorenzo’s arrival, they have achieved 8 wins and 5 draws, scoring 21 goals and conceding only 9. Their performance stands at an impressive 74.3%.

Their last encounter and victory against Paraguay dates back to November 19 of the previous year, in a friendly match held in the United States.

Team News and Lineups

For the upcoming match, Colombia will be without central defender Davinson Sanchez (Galatasaray) due to accumulated yellow cards. He will be replaced by Carlos Cuesta (Genk of Belgium), who will partner with John Janer Lucumí (Bologna) in the defense.

Additionally, winger Deiver Machado (Lens de France) will be absent from the squad due to an injury sustained during the match against Brazil. His replacement will be Cristian Borja (Sporting de Braga).

Return of an American Champion

On a positive note, Colombia welcomes back Jhon Arias, the winger from Fluminense and newly crowned champion of the Copa Libertadores. Arias was unavailable for the match against Brazil due to accumulated yellow cards.

Although Paraguay has rebuilt their traditionally solid defense led by Gustavo Gómez (Palmeiras), Colombia’s potential is strengthened by the resurgence of James Rodríguez, as well as the presence of star players such as “Lucho” Díaz from Liverpool and Santos Borré.

Probable Lineups:

Paraguay: Carlos Coronel – Juan Cáceres, Gustavo Gómez, Omar Alderete, and Matías Espinoza – Andrés Cubas, Mathías Villasanti, Diego Gómez, Ramón Sosa – Gabriel Avalos and Tony Sanabria. DT: Daniel Garnero.

Colombia: Camilo Vargas – Carlos Cuesta, Janer Lucumi, Kevin Castaño, Cristian Borja – Daniel Muñoz, Andrés Mateus Uribe, Santos Borré, James Rodríguez – Luis Díaz and Jhon Arias. DT: Néstor Lorenzo.