Miguel Almirón fulfills dream of helping Paraguay qualify for World Cup
Miguel Almirón was 16 years old, sitting with his friends in Paraguay, anxiously awaiting the country’s first match in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
That team, coached by Gerardo “Tata” Martino, tied Italy 1-1 but won its group and went on to reach the quarterfinals, its highest-ever finish in eight appearances in the tournament.
“I always said to myself that that’s something that I want to do, is to play in a World Cup,” Almirón said.
Almirón’s wish is one step closer to being fulfilled. He and Paraguay qualified for next year’s World Cup, which will include eight matches in Atlanta, with a 0-0 draw with Ecuador on Sept. 4.
Almirón said he celebrated by visiting with his parents and grandfather, who wasn’t able to go to the game because he was sick but who Almirón said always accompanied him to his matches when he was a kid.
“To be able to celebrate with them was very meaningful,” Almirón said.
It seems as if Almirón, who has made 69 appearances for Paraguay, will be a lock to make the World Cup team. He said he has a personal trainer who works with him so that he can stay as fit as possible and play as many matches as possible because that’s what makes him happy. Almirón has played in all of Atlanta United’s 26 matches this season.
“Now it’s just about preparing as best as possible to get there,” he said.
Almirón said he will continue to keep preparing as well as he can to try to ensure he is selected and that because it’s not written anywhere that Paraguay can’t compete for the title, it is going there to do that.
“Paraguay is getting there again now, after a long, long time. That’s a big thing, and that he is one of the biggest players in that team,” Atlanta United manager Ronny Deila said. “That’s good for everybody.”
Almirón said he’s thought about the possibility of playing a World Cup match in Atlanta, which he described as a special place. He hopes the group they are drawn into contains strong teams because those are the best matches. The draw is scheduled to be held Dec. 5 in Washington, D.C.
“It’s a goal I’ve been working toward for nine years now to qualify,” Almirón said. “It’s also for all the people in Paraguay who have suffered a lot, but they’ve always come to support us and support the team. It’s been a long process, and we’ve suffered through it, but everything comes in time at the right moment, and now we’re here, and I’m very, very happy for everyone in Paraguay.”
Thursday’s training. Every Atlanta United player except for midfielder Jay Fortune participated in Thursday’s session.
Though Emmanuel Latte Lath trained, Deila said the striker, who leads the team with seven goals, will not be available for Saturday’s match against Columbus because he is not yet fit enough. Jamal Thiaré likely will start.
Additionally, midfielder Bartosz Slisz will not be available for selection because of yellow-card accumulation. Deila said Steven Alzate and Tristan Muyumba would likely be the central midfielders.
Academy honorees. Four Atlanta United academy players — Fred Bond, Josh Brown, David Ilevbare and Kai Martinez — were called into the U.S. Under-16 team for its upcoming camp. Atlanta United players had more selected than any other team.
Deila said it’s a testament to the work done by Javier Perez, Atlanta United’s director of methodology, and the academy coaches.
“It’s about talent, and it’s about also producing first-team players,” Deila said. “Now we have some players now from 17-18, to 15-14, that are really talented, and then they are training with us now. It’s about developing and taking care of our biggest talents, and now we are having some really interesting ones.
“And you see that also with Luke (Brennan) and that generation. They are taking steps. When he’s 23 years old, he needs to be a top player in our league and hopefully also push for other things.”
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