FIFA U-17 World Cup: 2 am training, Paraguay’s playbook for India

The Paraguay Under-17 team has qualified for the World Cup on four occasions.

The reporting time for training was now 2 a.m., no questions asked. Coach Gustavo Morinigo had decided to alter the body clock of the Under-17 team before they embarked on a 24-hour journey to India.

At the Albiróga – the training centre for the Paraguayan national football team – players slowly got accustomed to playing at an unearthly hour. Coach Morinigo wanted his players to get used to the eight-and-a-half hour time difference before they landed in India after a 15,000 km journey. Paraguay, the dark horses of South American football, have long been in the shadows of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile. This is only the fourth time their Under-17 team has qualified for the World Cup. “We aren’t a big country, but we always want to give a good competition,” Morinigo says. “But we want to go further than that now.”

There are expectations back home with many hoping that these boys will become the driving force for the country’s footballing fortunes. The World Cup that starts on Friday will be the Paraguayan Under-17s second consecutive appearance at this level.

Even the performances of the senior team have plateaued. They failed to qualify for the 2014 World Cup after securing a berth in the past four editions. Morinigo, who was a part of the team that reached the pre-quarterfinals in 2002, has been tasked with moulding a new generation of strong players.

“We’ve been changing things around since we failed in 2014,” he says. “Mostly we’re trying to get the best out of the junior teams so that they can get good results and develop into a strong senior team.”

Indeed, the promise has been recognised, starting from the qualifying campaign for the junior world event. In their opening match at the Campeonato Sudamericano – the continental tournament – in February, Paraguay managed to upset Argentina – one of the traditional powerhouses that failed to book a spot in India. Then they managed to hold Brazil to two draws and became the only team to remain unbeaten against the Vinicius Junior-led Selecao. “It was difficult for us to do it, but people back home were amazed by those performances. It was enormous,” says Morinigo.

Work in progress

Still the 40-year-old remains cautious. “They couldn’t beat us, but they still won the tournament. That was a bit disappointing and we need to change that,” he adds. Paraguay instead walked away with a bronze medal, behind second placed Chile and winners Brazil. The World Cup is the next platform to test the squad, and training hasn’t been just about adjusting to the time difference. Rather, Morinigo has employed a thorough physical programme, including regular weight training sessions. Usually, teams from South America promote a free-flowing attacking style of play. But Morinigo brings with him a squad of 21 that plays with a balanced style. “We look more on an all-round performance, defending and going forward rather than just attacking. So we’ve achieved equilibrium right now.”

Of late, they’ve hit a purple patch. Just before making the trip to India, the squad travelled to Germany to play four practice matches against older teams, winning all. In the opener, they beat Bayer Leverkusen’s Under-19 squad 4-2, followed by a 2-1 win against Luxembourg’s Under-19s.

Then they thrashed Rhineland Wittlich’s Under-23 side 8-1, and finished the campaign with a 5-1 win over FC Koln’s Under-19 squad. Yet they were mere glimpses of what La Albirroja colts are looking to achieve — shedding the underdog tag. They made the first statement back at the South American Championships. They are hoping to make an equally big one at the World Cup.