Former Newcastle United star Miguel Almiron was at the heart of the action as Paraguay drew 2-2 with Colombia.
After spending six years at St James’ Park, Miguel Almiron was sold by Newcastle in January.
The 26-year-old rejoined MLS side Atlanta United, where he had spent three years as a player before joining Newcastle for a then-club record fee of £21m.
Almiron has hit the ground running in Atlanta but he had to miss their latest MLS match against Cincinnati because he was called up to the Paraguay national team.
There were 14 Newcastle United players on international duty this month, and Miguel Almiron was also in action for his country.
Miguel Almiron involved in Paraguay ‘controversy’ vs Colombia
Earlier in the week, Almiron featured for Paraguay as they beat Chile 1-0 in their World Cup qualifier.
Up next was a clash against Colombia, who sat just behind Paraguay in the CONMEBOL table.
Almiron started on the right for Paraguay, who found themselves 2-0 down after just 12 minutes. However, Paraguay thought they had found a way back into the game when Almiron’s first-half shot appeared to be blocked by an elbow.
Paraguayan outlet Versus described it as the “controversy of the night”, adding: “Miguel Almiron gained speed, eluded the goalkeeper, and shot with the goal practically blank, but left-back Johan Mojica deflected the ball for a corner. With what part of his body? The ball hit the elbow.”
The incident was also discussed by ABC, who wrote: “[Paraguay] controlled the midfield and the game, but they squandered chances, like the controversial first-half finish by Miguel Almiron, who shot off Johan Mojica’s elbow.”
Paraguay were denied a penalty but eventually clawed it back to 2-2 with Almiron providing one assist in the comeback.
The numbers behind Miguel Almiron’s display vs Colombia
Almiron played a big part in Paraguay’s comeback, and it has put his nation in a strong position to qualify for the World Cup.
At 31 years old, there is a good chance that the 2026 World Cup could be Almiron’s last.
A deep dive into his performance on Tuesday night shows he is still a pivotal part of this Paraguay team.
| Minutes played | 90 |
| Touches | 35 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Passes completed | 83% (15/18) |
| Key passes | 3 |
| Shots attempted | 3 |
| Dribbles completed | 100% (3/3) |
| Duels won | 46% (6/13) |
READ MORE: Miguel Almiron says Eddie Howe does something genius that Steve Bruce never did at Newcastle United
Almiron was a threat in possession, picking up one assist and completing three key passes. He was unlucky not to add a goal to his tally after the controversial handball incident.
He also completed all three of his dribbles and only lost possession six times across 90 minutes – an impressive display.
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