{"id":3020,"date":"2026-06-25T12:08:52","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T12:08:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=3020"},"modified":"2026-06-25T12:08:52","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T12:08:52","slug":"australia-paraguay-meet-in-levis-stadiums-final-group-stage-rehearsal-before-u-s-knockout-match","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=3020","title":{"rendered":"Australia, Paraguay meet in Levi’s Stadium’s final group-stage rehearsal before U.S. knockout match"},"content":{"rendered":"
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SANTA CLARA \u2013 One group-stage match remains at Levi\u2019s Stadium before the United States\u2019 squad and its growing bandwagon show next Wednesday for a Round of 32 showcase, likely against Bosnia and Herzegovina.<\/p>\n

Read more At least 164 dead and 971 injured after powerful quakes rock Venezuela, acting president says<\/a><\/p>\n

The stakes remain great, however, when Australia and Paraguay meet Thursday at 7 p.m. on the 49ers\u2019 home field.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe love the position we\u2019re in, that we can go through to the knockout stages,\u201d Australia coach Tony Popovi\u0107 said Wednesday. \u201cWe know it\u2019s in our hands.\u201d<\/p>\n

A win or a draw will send Australia through as the Group D runner-up, likely on to Boston or Dallas. The Alameda-based Socceroos are 1-1 with an even goal differential, having surprised Turkey 2-0 before last Friday\u2019s 2-0 defeat to the U.S. in Seattle.<\/p>\n

Paraguay, with San Jose State as its base camp, also enters 1-1. After a 4-1 loss to the U.S. in Inglewood on June 12, La Albirroja knocked off Turkey 1-0 at Levi\u2019s Stadium last Friday night.<\/p>\n

Paraguay won behind a second-minute goal from Matias Galarza and overcame a man-down deficit after halftime, the result of Miguel Almir\u00f3n\u2019s verbal-abuse ejection for covering his mouth. Almir\u00f3n thus will miss this game, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe World Cup is very complex, very challenging,\u201d Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro said. \u201cI told the players it\u2019s really hard to get a win in the World Cup and maybe other teams don\u2019t have so many difficulties, but we do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alfaro\u2019s rallying cry is that this could be Paraguay\u2019s first World Cup with two wins, even though its last appearance in 2010 produced a group-stage victory and then a shootout win over Japan to reach the quarterfinals, where it fell to Spain 1-0.<\/p>\n

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Australia is a young, physical and tall team that will be without defender Jacob Italiano, who\u2019s out with an adductor injury recently sustained in practice.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the second half, Australia was pressuring the U.S. and made the U.S. uncomfortable,\u201d Alfaro said. \u201cWhen they went up in the pitch, they were coordinated in their pressure. \u2026 We need to be very calm and very cautious.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Fire breaks out in the foothills east of San Jose<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThis match might be more of a counterattack so we\u2019ll have to be very much aware,\u201d Paraguay midfielder Andres Cubas added. \u201cBut if that\u2019s the way it goes, we need to handle the ball in the midfield and try to create spaces. We have the players to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for Paraguay\u2019s fresh taste of victory here, \u201cI don\u2019t think it gives them an advantage in any way,\u201d Australia defender Alessandro Circati said. \u201cIt\u2019s a game of football. It goes two ways. We\u2019re very excited and try to go out and get second in the table.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Popovi\u0107 said his side must be especially wary of Paraguay striker Julio Enciso, who assisted both of their World Cup goals, including Mauricio\u2019s 73rd-minute score against the U.S.<\/p>\n

Circati and the Socceroos came on Wednesday for a brief orientation at sunny Levi\u2019s Stadium (70 degrees). No balls were kicked around, but a first impression was made about a pitch that\u2019s cropped tighter than a Pebble Beach fairway yet in impressive shape after four games over 11 days.<\/p>\n

\u201cLooked at the grass and it is a little bit different,\u201d Circati said. \u201cThe grass is a little bit shorter. But I\u2019m not a groundsman. I don\u2019t know what to tell you about specifics. It\u2019s cut a little but shorter. But the ball should move nicely. It\u2019s a great grass. The ball will move quickly and hopefully we\u2019ll put on a show.\u201d<\/p>\n

Popovi\u0107 commended the Bay Area for the show its put on this far, with his team having stayed at The Claremont in Berkeley\u2019s hills and practiced at the old Oakland Raiders\u2019 facility in Alameda.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe people have been fantastic, as has the hospitality. We\u2019ve really enjoyed being here,\u201d Popovi\u0107 said. \u201cWe want to stay longer so we\u2019ll do our very best tomorrow to stay in this area a little longer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Through four games, 10 goals have been scored at Levi\u2019s Stadium, with an average crowd of 68,422 (405 shy of capacity). Paraguay\u2019s 1-0 win over Turkey drew the only full house. The others: 67,966 for the Qatar-Switzerland 1-1 draw; 68,527 for Austria\u2019s 3-1 win over Jordan; and 68,371 for Algeria\u2019s 2-1 elimination of Turkey.<\/p>\n

Read more Chabria: Behested payments aren\u2019t illegal, but they are a problem. Especially for Newsom.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Before the United States’ red-hot team arrives at Levi’s Stadium next Wednesday, Australia and Paraguay meet in a final group-stage game Thursday night seeking second in Group D.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3019,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3020","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\nAustralia, Paraguay meet in Levi’s Stadium’s final group-stage rehearsal before U.S. knockout match - Next City Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=3020\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Australia, Paraguay meet in Levi’s Stadium’s final group-stage rehearsal before U.S. knockout match - 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