Miguel Almiron suffers as former Newcastle United star delivers crushing blow | OneFootball

Thursday saw a very frustrating night for Miguel Almiron.

Paraguay drawing their opening World Cup group qualifier, absolutely battering Peru who didn’t have a single effort on target and the visitors having to play the entire second half a man down. Paraguay hitting the woodwork four times, the visiting keeper playing the game of his career and the Peru goal leading a charmed life, as it ended in a goalless draw.

It was more of the same on Tuesday night, as Miguel Almiron and his international teammates failed to win a match where they really needed to get all three points.

A very entertaining match saw Paraguay the better team but once again unable to score, having 18 shots compared to 11 for Venezuela, Almiron’s side with five on target compered to three for the hosts.

However, a drama filled game played in front of a packed and very passionate home crowd, eventually saw a goal in the third minute of added time. After a very brave VAR official and referee had earlier denied Venezuela a goal due to a disputed handball, in added time they did get a VAR call go their way for handball.

Paraguay not even getting a point and to make it even worse for Miguel Almiron, it was former Newcastle United teammate Salomon Rondon who scored this very late penalty.

Venezuela’s all time record scoring stretching that record by another goal.

After managing to escape the shambles at Everton, Rondon is now playing for River Plate in Argentina, the 33 year old has so far made eight league starts and scored five goals.

Even so early in the South American qualifying group, where 18 matches need to be played by each country, these opening games were seen as crucial to Paraguay because they are two of their most winnable games. Miguel Almiron and his teammates knowing that they will be fighting with both Venezuela and Peru for the chance of one of the lowest World Cup qualifying spots in the group. For the Qatar World Cup, Venezuela finished rock bottom of the ten team qualifying group.

The only positive for Miguel Almiron and his international teammates after this match, is knowing that with the 2026 World Cup finals expanding to 48 teams, it is now six not five who qualify automatically for the next world cup, whilst the seventh placed country in the group will go into a play-off.

This is how the South American 2026 World Cup qualifying group now looks:

It doesn’t get any easier, as next month Paraguay will be playing Argentina away in their third qualifying group game.

The match finished in the early hours of Wednesday in UK time, Miguel Almiron having to then make the long journey back from Maturin, Venezuela, to Tyneside ahead of Saturday’s match at home to Brentford. After playing the full game against Peru, it was another 85 minutes against Venezuela, before Miguel Almiron was subbed with five minutes remaining.

Newcastle United players heading around the globe to play for their countries in September 2023:

Wednesday 6 September

England Under 19s 0 Germany Under 19s 1

A first ever appearance for the England Under 19s, as sub Lewis Miley helped the young lions control the later stages, but despite their dominance and very good chances created, couldn’t find an equaliser in this friendly played on the Costa Brava.

Thursday 7 September

Paraguay 0 Peru 0

Incredibly frustrating for Miguel Almiron, as Paraguay drew their first World Cup qualifier. Absolutely battering Peru who didn’t have a single effort on target and the visitors having to play the entire second half a man down, after Advincula picked up a red card just before the break.

Paraguay hitting the woodwork four times, the visiting keeper playing the game of his career and the Peru goal leading a charmed life.

Friday 8 September

Cyprus 0 Scotland 3 (***Elliot Anderson has now withdrawn from the Scotland squad after picking up an unspecified injury) Euros Qualifier

Slovakia 0 Portugal 1

Martin Dubravka fortunate to escape serious injury after a beyond reckless challenge from Cristiano Ronaldo saw the striker’s studs end up in the face of the Newcastle keeper.

Thankfully Dubravka able to continue after lengthy treatment, Ronaldo somehow ending up with only a yellow card. Fernandes with the Portugal goal which leaves Slovakia second in Group J after five of the ten Euro qualifying group matches. Slovakia on 10 points and ahead of Luxembourg on goal difference, whilst five points behind group leaders Portugal.

Brazil 5 Bolivia 1

Bruno Guimaraes makes first ever start in an international in his home country, puts in excellent performance in this World Cup Qualifier. That included a top quality assist for Rodrygo to score the third. Bruno Guimaraes subbed on 71 minutes with the score 4-0, Joelinton replacing his Newcastle United teammate as he made his third appearance for Brazil.

Saturday 9 September

Estonia 0 Sweden 5

Alexander Isak back to form and a very good performance as he capped his display with a dominant power header, scoring the third in this vital Euros qualifier win.

England Under 19s 4 Switzerland Under 19s 2

A special day for 17 year old Lewis Miley, as he made his first start for the England Under 19s in this friendly. Played on the Costa Brava, the NUFC teenager unlucky not to register and assist due to a dubious offside decision.

Ukraine 1 England 1

England struggling to a point with Callum Wilson and Kieran Trippier unused subs.

Played in Poland, Zinchenko gave Ukraine a 26th minute lead in this Euros qualifier, before Kyle Walker equalised just before the break.

North Macedonia 1 Italy 1

Sandro Tonali put in a vey decent performance, so unlucky not to give Italy the lead when a great run ended with his left foot shot coming back off the post. Immobile did give Italy the lead just after half-time but a late free-kick equaliser was a huge blow to the visitors who had dominated most of the match.

Kosovo 2 Switzerland 2

Fabian Schar played the full game of this Euros group qualifier, Reassuring Newcastle fans as to his fitness.

Switzerland are still unbeaten, top of the group and looking set to qualify, but they were rocked by a 94th minute Kosovo equaliser that took two points away from them.

Monday 11 September

Slovakia 3 Liechtenstein 0

An eighth clean sheet in his last eleven internationals, as Martin Dubravka and Slovakia easily win this latest Euros Qualifier.

Tuesday 12 September

Sweden 1 Austria 3

A nightmare night for Alexander Isak and his international teammates. Shocking defending at the back saw Sweden help gift three goals in 16 second half minutes in this key Euros qualifier. The Newcastle United striker subbed on 83 minutes with the game lost and effectively Sweden’s chances as well, of automatically qualifying for next year’s 2024 Euros in Germany. With the top two in the group automatically qualifying, Sweden are now seven points adrift of both Belgium and Austria with three games left to play.

Scotland 1 England 3

England totally outclassed the home side in this friendly, Scotland didn’t have a single shot on target and just the one corner, as the visitors bossed the game. Only Gareth Southgate’s obsession with the woeful Harry Maguire gave Scotland hope, as the Man Utd defender pulled it back to 2-1 with a poor own goal. Foden and the superb Bellingham had put England in control with two goals in three first half minutes, Bellingham then did brilliantly to set up Kane to restore the two goal margin late on.

Kieran Trippier showed his versatility by playing the full game at left-back and did well, whilst his Newcastle teammate Callum Wilson picked up another cap when replacing Harry Kane in the 84th minute.

Peru 0 Brazil 1

A second start in a row for Bruno Guimaraes as once again he impressed in this World Cup group qualifier that Brazil dominated. The Newcastle midfielder replaced late on in the 85th minute by club teammate Joelinton, who picked up his fourth cap.

A stubborn Peru though riding their luck and defending defiantly, then despite having not a single effort on target of their own, looked to be coming out of this with a very valuable point. However, Brazil finally got over the line, PSG defender Marquinhos scoring a 90th minute header from a corner delivered by former club colleague Neymar.

Brazil top of the South American 2026 World Cup qualifying group, only they and Argentina have six points after the opening two rounds of matches.

Venezuela 1 Paraguay 0

Another night of disappointment for Miguel Almiron and his teammates, as Paraguay needed to beat Venezuela who finished rock bottom in the 10 team qualifying group for the last World Cup in Qatar.

To make matters worse, it was Almiron’s former Newcastle teammate Salomon Rondon who scored a 93rd minute penalty to decide this world cup group qualifier.