The focus of the World Cup qualifiers South America: Paraguay VS Ecuador, World Cup hot-blooded competition

In the territory of South American football, the World Cup qualifiers have always been known for their fierce confrontations, unpredictable battle situations and deep football background. In the early morning of September 6, the South American World Cup qualifiers will usher in a key showdown related to the fate of qualifying - Paraguay is located in Asuncion's Defensores del Chaco Stadium, facing Ecuador, which is also eager to win the World Cup tickets. This game is not only a direct collision of the strengths of the two teams, but also a vivid portrayal of the "no weak team" characteristics of South American football. Every offense and defense conversion may rewrite the direction of the two teams' World Cup qualifiers.

World qualifiers: The desire to break through the ups and downs

Paraguay's performance in this South American World Cup qualifiers is like a roller coaster. In the first 5 rounds, they only achieved a record of 1 win, 2 draws and 2 losses, and temporarily ranked 7th in the standings with 5 points. They are still quite different from the top 4 in the World Cup, and even have a point difference from the fifth place who competes for the playoff qualification. The team's offensive end has never found a stable scoring rhythm, scoring only 4 goals in 5 games, and averaging 0.8 goals per game is third from the bottom among the 10 teams in the South American region. However, Paraguay's defensive end showed a certain degree of resilience, conceding 1.2 goals per game. Compared with multiple teams in the same group, the loopholes in the defense line are not fatal.

In the latest World Cup qualifiers, Paraguay lost 0-1 to the strong Uruguay away. Although his ball possession rate reached 52% and his shots were on par with the opponent, he could not break through Uruguay's tight defense and eventually lost. In the previous home game against Colombia, they defeated their opponent 1-0 with the goal of the midfield core Almiron and won their first World Cup qualifiers. That victory also gave the team hope of breaking through.

Ecuador's World Cup qualifiers started even more impressive, with 2 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss in the first 5 rounds, ranking fourth in the standings with 8 points, temporarily occupying the quota for directly advancing to the World Cup. The team's offense and defense performance is relatively balanced, scoring 7 goals in 5 games, and averaging 1.4 goals per game ranks in the middle of the South American zone; they conceded 1 goal per game on the defensive end, second only to Brazil and Argentina, showing the rare defensive stability among South American teams.

Ecuador has been in particularly outstanding form recently, with an unbeaten record of 2 wins and 1 draw in the last 3 World Cup qualifiers. In the home game against Bolivia, they won a huge 3-0 score, and forward Enna Valencia scored twice, becoming the team's biggest contributor to the victory; then challenged Peru away and narrowly defeated his opponent 2-1, consolidating the top 4 positions in the standings. However, Ecuador's performance in the away game still has room for improvement. He lost 0-1 0-1 away against Brazil and Argentina. His ability to withstand pressure when facing traditional South American strong teams remains to be tested.

Core Player: The team's soul and winner

Paraguay's offensive core is undoubtedly Miguel Almiron who plays for Newcastle United in the Premier League. The 29-year-old midfielder has both speed and skills. He can not only complete accurate pass schedules in the midfield, but also tear open the opponent's defense with a sharp breakthrough, and even go forward to the penalty area to participate in the offense. In this World Cup qualifier, Almiron contributed 1 goal and 1 assist, which is one of the few reliable scoring points on Paraguay's offensive end. His ability to connect in the midfield directly determines Paraguay's offensive rhythm. If he can get rid of Ecuador's key defense in this game, he will create more scoring opportunities for the team. On the

defense line, 34-year-old veteran Gustavo Gomez is Paraguay's stabilizing needle. As a central defender who once played for AC Milan, Gomez has rich experience in the competition and excellent defensive awareness. He averaged 3.2 interceptions and 4.5 clearances per game, and is the "safety valve" of the team's defense line. His high-altitude top-fighting ability is also excellent, with a success rate of up to 72%, which can effectively resolve Ecuador's cross-border threat.

Ecuador's offensive core is 34-year-old forward Enna Valencia. Although he has entered the end of his career, Valencia's performance in the national team is still efficient. He contributed 3 goals and 1 assist in this World Cup qualifier and is the team's number one scorer. He has a strong sense of smell and explosive power in front of the goal, and can not only score points in the penalty area, but also threaten the opponent's goal through long shots. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Valencia scored twice in a single game to help Ecuador defeat Qatar, and now he is still the "thigh-level" figure for the team's ticket to the World Cup. In the midfield, Moises Kessedo, who plays for Brighton in the Premier League, is Ecuador's offensive and defensive hub. The 22-year-old young player has extremely strong running ability and interception awareness, averaging 2.8 steals and 3.1 interceptions per game, while also contributing 1.5 key passes, is a typical "B2B midfielder". His defensive coverage and offensive connection in the midfield directly affect Ecuador's overall tactical execution efficiency.

Tactical style: The collision of offense and defense concepts

Paraguay's tactical style is more conservative, and coach Gustavo Alfaro is accustomed to adopting a 4-2-3-1 formation, focusing on the defensive interception and counterattack efficiency of the midfield. In the game, Paraguay will take the initiative to give up the ball and cut off the opponent's offensive pass line through the assisted defense of two defensive midfielders. Once the ball is successfully intercepted, it will use the speed of Almiron and the winger to launch a quick counterattack. However, this tactic also has obvious shortcomings - when the opponent takes intensive defense, Paraguay lacks effective means of penetration in the middle and can only rely on crosses from the wing, but the team's ability to compete for the top at high altitude is limited, and it is often difficult to pose a substantial threat.

When playing at home, Paraguay will appropriately increase the offensive rhythm, and the full-back will step forward and participate in the offense to provide support for the wing attack.. However, due to the personal abilities of offensive players, the team's offensive diversity is insufficient and it is easily targeted by the opponent.

Ecuador prefers a tactical system of "offensive and defensive balance". Head coach Felix Salinas often uses a 4-3-3 formation, emphasizing midfield possession and breakthroughs on the wing. The team's offense mainly relies on the speed of the left and right wingers and the forward interception of the full-backs, creating a chance to grab Valencia in the middle through crosses from the wing. At the same time, Kesedo's dispatch in the midfield can effectively sort out the offensive rhythm, and when the team is in a deadlock, he can also break the balance through his long shot or in the back row.

On the defensive end, Ecuador focuses on overall defensive rotation. The two full-backs will return to defense in time to form a four-back system with the central defenders. At the same time, the midfielders will retreat quickly to form a "5-4-1" defensive formation, compressing the opponent's offensive space. However, when the full-back penetrates too deep, Ecuador's wing defense is prone to gaps. If the opponent can seize this loophole and launch a counterattack, it will pose a great threat to his defense line.

Historical Confrontation and Game Highlights: Past grudges and current suspense

Recalling the historical confrontation between the two teams, Paraguay has a slight upper hand. Paraguay has achieved a record of 4 wins, 3 draws and 3 losses in the last 10 official matches, with five home matches against Ecuador, with an unbeaten record of 3 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss. The Defensores del Chaco Stadium is Ecuador's "away curse".

The most recent encounter was in the 2022 South American World Cup qualifiers, Paraguay defeated Ecuador 2-1 at home, when Almiron and forward Cavalero each scored a goal to help the team score a key three-pointer. In the 2023 friendly match, the two teams shook hands 1-1. Although Ecuador had the advantage in ball possession in that game, he could never break through Paraguay's intensive defense and could only accept a draw.

The highlights of this game are concentrated in three aspects: first, it is the direct showdown between core players - the midfield game between Almiron and Kessedo will determine the offensive rhythm of the two teams; the offensive and defensive confrontation between Valencia and Gomez may directly affect the winning and losing direction of the game. The second is whether Ecuador can break the "away curse" - Ecuador has only won 1 victory in the previous 5 away games against Paraguay. This time, with the advantage of the top 4 in the World Cup qualifiers, it is worth looking forward to whether they can rewrite history away games. Third, whether Paraguay's offense can break the deadlock - Faced with Ecuador's tight defense, if Paraguay can find a stable scoring method, it will not only get a key three-pointer, but also inject confidence into the subsequent World Cup qualifiers.

For Paraguay, this game is a "back-to-back battle" - if they cannot defeat Ecuador at home, their gap with the top 4 will further widen, and the hope of rushing to the World Cup will become slim; and if Ecuador can win away, it will consolidate the top 4 positions in the standings and lay a solid foundation for directly advancing to the World Cup. Is this South American World Cup match full of gunpowder? Was Paraguay successful breakthrough with his home advantage and historical record, or is Ecuador breaking the "away curse" with a balanced offense and defense system? Let us look forward to this life-and-death battle together and witness the passion and passion of South American football.