Paraguay defeated Argentina 2–1 on Thursday in the opening match for both teams in the men’s U-19 football tournament at the Santa Fe 2026 South American Games. The game took place at the Marcelo Bielsa Stadium—home of Newell’s Old Boys—in the city of Rosario, during the event’s fifth day of competition.
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The Paraguayan squad, managed by Antolín Alcaraz and captained by Eduardo Delmás, fell behind early but rallied in the second half with goals from Junior Gamarra and Pedro Zarza. Argentina, led by Diego Placente, had opened the scoring in the 41st minute through Franco Domínguez.
The Estudiantes de La Plata forward received the ball at the edge of the penalty area and found space to shoot toward the near post, beating Paraguayan goalkeeper Leonardo Sosa. That finish gave *La Albiceleste* a 1–0 lead heading into halftime.
Paraguay adjusted its tactics after the break, looking to push forward via quick transitions. The equalizer arrived in the 59th minute when Junior Gamarra—a Sportivo Trinidense player—capped off a counterattack with a powerful shot that beat Argentine goalkeeper Demian Talavera.
🏅🇵🇾 ¡Repasamos todas las medallas del Team Paraguay!
Nuestros atletas siguen dejando todo en los Juegos Suramericanos Santa Fe 2026 y ya son varias las preseas que llevan los colores de Paraguay al podio. 🥇🥈🥉
📊 Repasamos el medallero completo del Team Paraguay y celebramos… pic.twitter.com/LSSqkLqIvH
— TRECE (@trecepy) September 16, 2026
The text reads, “We’re reviewing all the medals of Team Paraguay! Our athletes continue to give their all at the Santa Fe 2026 South American Games, and several medals are already bringing Paraguay’s colors to the podium. We’re reviewing the complete medal tally for Team Paraguay and celebrating every achievement. Let’s go, Paraguay!”
La Albirroja kept up the pressure and found a second goal six minutes later. Pedro Zarza, an Olimpia youth player, finished off a team counterattack by beating a defender and scoring with a shot across the goal. That strike sealed the final 2–1 scoreline for the Paraguayan side.
Midfielder Eduardo Delmás played a pivotal role in the comeback. According to reports, the Paraguayan captain provided the assists for both goals; for the first, he beat defenders before setting up Gamarra, and later, he was again involved in the build-up play that led to Zarza’s goal.
Argentina attempted to regain control of the match, but Paraguay held onto their lead until the final whistle. In the 80th minute, César Miño came close to extending the lead with a left-footed shot that struck the crossbar.
The result marks Paraguay’s first victory in Group B, while Argentina began its campaign with a home defeat. The group’s opening round concludes with the match between Uruguay and Venezuela, scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
The opening day of the men’s U-19 football tournament began on Wednesday with Group A victories for Colombia over Peru (2–0) and Chile over Panama (4–1).
Paraguay’s next match is against Venezuela on Saturday, September 19, at 10:00 a.m., once again at the Marcelo Bielsa Stadium. Uruguay is also in Group B.
The Union of Educators of Paraguay (UNE) and the Organization of Education Workers of Paraguay (OTEP-SN) mobilized in Asuncion and other cities to demand higher salaries, greater public investment in education, and solutions to structural problems.
They rejected a pact signed… pic.twitter.com/Y8XOvqJ84Z
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) September 17, 2026
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