A huge blow for Bruno Guimaraes but different story for his Newcastle United teammate | OneFootball

A huge blow for Bruno Guimaraes and Brazil.

Tuesday night (early hours of Wednesday in the UK) in Asuncion seeing the visitors humbled by Miguel Almiron and Paraguay.

A stunning 20th minute strike from outside the box by Gomez proving the match winner in this World Cup group qualifier. Wild scenes (see below) as the home players and fans celebrated.

Miguel Almiron put in a great performance and was subbed as soon as he picked up a yellow card on 85 minutes.

However, Bruno Guimaraes and Endrick both replaced at the break as the Brazil boss desperately tried to change the direction of the game. In reality, Bruno didn’t have a bad game in his usual more defensive midfield position than he plays for Newcastle United, it was those further up the pitch who once again struggled for Brazil, Real Madrid’s Rodrygo particularly poor and wasteful.

Brazil haven’t been great in recent times but Paraguay had won only one of their last nine matches coming into this match.

It wasn’t the only shock of the night as group leaders Argentina lost 2-1 away against Colombia, whilst Uruguay who had started the day in second place, could only draw against Venezuela.

Not a complete disaster for Bruno Guimaraes and Brazil in recent days as they did win 1-0 against Ecuador.

A spectacular one for Miguel Almiron and Paraguay though, as they followed up an excellent goalless draw away against Uruguay, with this even better win against Brazil.

That leaves the South American World Cup qualifying group looking like this, the top six automatically qualify for the 2026 finals (to be held in Mexico, Canada and USA) and the seventh in the table goes into a play-off to try and reach the finals:

Each country with still 10 games to play but

Paraguay play Ecuador away and Venezuela at home in October, whilst Brazil have Chile away and Peru at home.

Bruno Guimaraes and his teammates with the perfect chance to get six points against the bottom two in the table. If things did go wrong next month, the Brazil boss could find himself in danger of the sack despite Dorival Junior only getting the job eight months ago.

As for Newcastle United, Bruno Guimaraes and Miguel Almiron will once again be the latest back on Tyneside of all Newcastle’s internationals. Assume the club will be laying on a private plane to get the pair back in the best possible time, so the two players set to be back in Newcastle sometime on Thursday and return to the training ground on Friday.

Saturday 7 September

Republic of Ireland 0 England 2

The easiest of wins for England, going 2-0 up inside 26 minutes and then cruising the rest of the match, though still creating a lot of chances that if taken, could/should have heaped further humiliation on the home side.

A really refreshing change though compared to the misery of watching Southgate’s ultra negative football, as England looked to attack from the first whistle.

Nick Pope and Tino Livramento remained on the bench but Anthony Gordon was excellent. The only minor criticism was that he didn’t finish it himself when on 11 minutes his brilliant run in behind was found by Trent Alexander-Arnold. I reckon nine times out of ten he would score that for Newcastle, rather than giving the keeper a chance to save. However, Gordon showed great composure to seize upon the ball when Kelleher saved, he played it across to Harry Kane who didn’t make the most of it, but it fell kindly to Rice to lash home.

Gordon was one of England’s best players alongside Grealish and Rice, with the Arsenal player getting the second goal to wrap the victory up with only 26 minutes on the clock. The Republic of Ireland unable to handle the pace and trickery of Gordon, nor the Man City player.

Greece 3 Finland 0

Odysseas Vlachodimos with a clean sheet, as the Greece number one helped his country to a commanding Nations League group win.

Sunday 8 September

Sweden 3 Estonia 0

Another game and another goal for Alexander Isak.

The Newcastle United striker returns to Tyneside in red hot form, having made it three goals in two September internationals. Sweden now top their Nations League group with six points and a 6-1 goal difference, Alexander Isak following up two goals against Azerbaijan on Thursday, with another on Sunday night. Isak scoring on 40 minutes in the middle of a 14 minute first half spell that brought three goals, Viktor Gyokeres scoring either side of the Newcastle striker’s goal.

Slovakia 2 Azerbaijan 0

Another win and another clean sheet for Newcastle keeper Martin Dubravka. Number two at NUFC behind Nick Pope, Dubravka and his national side joining Sweden and Alexander Isak at the top of their Nations League group, two wins and six points so far.

Monday 9 September

Israel 1 Italy 2

Double great news for Newcastle United as Sandro Tonali was again one of Italy’s top performers AND he played the full 90 minutes again, only three days after that superb 3-1 win in Paris. The midfielder returning to Tyneside ahead of Sunday’s match at Wolves, with these internationals playing a key role in helping him back to full match fitness. This victory takes Italy three points clear in their  Nations League group above France and Belgium.

England U21s 4 Austria U21s 1

Lewis Hall in great form, both in defence and attack. This young England team going 2-1 up before then two class assists set teammates up for the third and fourth goals, the cross for the final goal of the match especially good.

Tuesday 10 September

Denmark U21s 5 Czech Republic U21s 0

Newcastle’s Will Osula started on the bench in this U21s Euros group qualifier. At 4-0 and 18 minutes left, he came off the bench but couldn’t add any goals, the game ended 5-0 to the home side. However, in qualifying, Will Osula still has four goals in his last four appearances in the qualifiers for the Danes.

England 2 Finland 0

Anthony Gordon impressing once again, as England battered Finland. Such a relief to see after Gareth Southgate’s negativity, as Lee Carsley had England on the front foot from the first whistle, same as against the Republic of Ireland. England could and should have had the match wrapped up in the first half as they totally dominated, only a combination of poor finishing and making the wrong decisions in the final third, plus a packed disciplined Finland defence, keeping it goalless. England eventually got their reward when Kane blasted home on 57 minutes, then before he blasted his second on 76 minutes Carsley rotated his wingers, with Eze and Madueke replacing Gordon and Saka on 66 minutes. Another performance Anthony Gordon can be well happy with, as this new more attack minded Carsley initiative impressed, with Gordon, Grealish and Saka supporting Kane. Nick Pope and Tino Livramento watched on from the bench as unused subs once again.

Republic of Ireland 0 Greece 2

His Newcastle United career/future still remains a mystery but Odysseas Vlachodimos clearly isn’t letting it affect him. The NUFC keeper impressing again, with a second clean sheet in a row, as Greece scored twice in the second half to beat an admittedly woeful home side. This Nations League victory keeps Greece and Odysseas Vlachodimos still above England in the table on goal difference, both with six points from two games, they meet in their next match in October when Lee Carsley’s side host Greece.

Paraguay 1 Brazil 0

A huge blow for Bruno Guimaraes and Brazil.

Tuesday night (early hours of Wednesday in the UK) in Asuncion seeing the visitors humbled by Miguel Almiron and Paraguay.

A stunning 20th minute strike from outside the box by Gomez proving the match winner in this World Cup group qualifier. Wild scenes as the home players and fans celebrated.

Miguel Almiron put in a great performance and was subbed as soon as he picked up a yellow card on 85 minutes.

However, Bruno Guimaraes and Endrick both replaced at the break as the Brazil boss desperately tried to change the direction of the game. In reality, Bruno didn’t have a bad game in his usual more defensive midfield position than he plays for Newcastle United, it was those further up the pitch who once again struggled for Brazil, Real Madrid’s Rodrygo particularly poor and wasteful.

Alex Murphy once again not in the matchday squad for this second U21 Euros group qualifier in September. The Newcastle United defender presumably picking up a knock/injury.