Paraguay vs. Brazil: Winners and Losers from World Cup Qualifier
Dani Alves spared Brazil's blushes with a late goal that secured a 2-2 draw with Paraguay on Tuesday night in South American qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Having lost a two-goal lead last time out, against Uruguay, Brazil fell behind Paraguay 2-0 following strikes from Dario Lezcano and Edgar Benitez. But Ricardo Oliveira started the comeback in the 79th minute and Alves equalized in stoppage time to relieve some of the pressure on both the Selecao and their manager, Dunga.
With the draw, Brazil dropped to sixth place in the CONMEBOL table with nine points through six matches. Paraguay are seventh, currently behind Brazil on goal differential.
Here, Bleacher Report selects winners and losers from the match.
Winner: Dario Lezcano
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Dario Lezcano spearheaded Paraguay's impressive first half with another goal, bringing his total to four in Paraguay's last three matches. That translates to the record of a man in top form.
The run started against Bolivia, when Lezcano scored the equalizer just two minutes after Paraguay fell behind. La Albirroja eventually won 2-1.
Next, the FC Ingolstadt forward notched a brace against Ecuador, as Paraguay became the first side to take points off the early table-toppers.
Then came Brazil in Asuncion. In the 40th minute, the hosts started a flowing move following a Selecao giveaway, with Edgar Benitez running onto a pass down the left and crossing into the middle. Roque Santa Cruz left the ball for Lezcano, who hit a bouncing volley past Alisson for the opener.
Because of Brazil's late comeback, the goal didn't contribute to a victory, but Lezcano is enjoying his football at the moment and likely turning the heads of many European scouts.
Winner: Edgar Benitez
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Edgar Benitez assisted the opener and scored the second for Paraguay. On most nights, his would have been a match-winning contribution, along with that of the lively Derlis Gonzalez.
Benitez's big night started in the 40th minute, when his cross led to Lezcano's breakthrough strike. Then, in the 48th minute, he added Paraguay's second, deftly trapping a Santa Cruz pass before coolly slotting past Alisson.
In addition to those two moments, the Queretaro man also provided plenty of danger with further runs and crosses down the left.
Brazil couldn't contain him, and only a furious comeback prevented Benitez from being a match-winner.
Loser: Dunga
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Yes, Brazil improved in the second half and rescued a 2-2 draw. And yes, Dani Alves' goal spared Dunga's blushes.
But come on. This is Brazil. We expect better.
"Dunga's Brazil are so bad, Roque Santa Cruz looks like Messi out there in Asuncion," Daniel Edwards tweeted in the second half. And he was right.
For about the first 60 minutes of this match, Brazil were poor. The Selecao had trouble defending and struggled to mount any dangerous attacks. Paraguay deservedly held a two-goal lead, and if the hosts hadn't adopted such a defensive posture so early, they might have held on for a victory.
In fairness, Dunga deserves some credit for freshening up Brazil's attack with the introduction of Hulk and Lucas Lima as substitutes. But he also deserves some blame for his side's limp showing in the first half.
While Alves' late goal might have saved Dunga from the axe, Brazil simply must improve. Through six rounds of qualifying matches, the Selecao sit in sixth place—outside the automatic qualification spots for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. If qualifying ended today, they wouldn't even reach the inter-continental play-off.
That's just not good enough.
Loser, Then Winner, Sort Of: Ricardo Oliveira
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Ricardo Oliveira came into Brazil's starting lineup to replace the suspended Neymar. For much of this match, the 35-year-old striker failed to impress.
But in the 79th minute, he started the comeback with his last touch of the match. So is he a winner here? A loser? Neither? Both?
We'll go with the latter. Consider the evidence.
In the 28th minute, Oliveira hit the woodwork with a first-time shot following a cross by Willian. The Santos man's movement and positioning were good, and his shot would have resulted in a goal if he could have kept it a few centimeters lower.
That was a decent contribution, but in the 47th minute, the Santos man ran onto a pass down the right and fired way off target with Hulk open on the other side of the box. And in the 72nd minute, Oliveira slipped and whiffed with his attempted shot after being picked out by Lucas Lima's excellent pass over the top.
So until then, Oliveira had probably done a bit more harm than good. But 11 minutes from time, he was in the right place at the right time to finish off the rebound following Hulk's powerful long-distance shot. In hindsight, the goal—his last touch of the game—sparked a comeback.
Right then. Well done? Not quite, but at least it was a good way to end his day.
Winner: Dani Alves
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Dani Alves' late goal relieved some of the intense pressure building on Dunga. Brazil's boss is still probably on the hot seat after taking just nine points from six World Cup qualifiers, but this goal at least gave the manager—and his team—some breathing room.
And what a goal it was, too. Collecting a pass from Willian along the edge of the area, Alves danced into the box and placed a low, curling shot into the bottom corner.
It wasn't powerful like something Hulk would produce. And it wasn't necessarily as eye-catching as a volley into the top corner. But it was well done, and it could prove valuable to both Dunga and Brazil during the marathon that is South American qualifying.
