Colombia 0-1 Paraguay: Benítez gives Alfaro a clean, hard win in Harrison

Paraguay got the only detail that mattered at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison on 3 October 2026: Hugo Adrián Benítez scored in the 56th minute, and Gustavo Alfaro’s side protected the lead with compact, awkward, disciplined football that made even a friendly feel like a qualifying night.

Final score: Colombia 0-1 Paraguay.

For Colombia, this was a warning. Néstor Lorenzo’s team had more of the ball, more shots, more passes and more territory. They finished with 58% possession and 14 total shots. But only two were on target. That is the whole file: Colombia had control, but not incision.

Paraguay had five shots, two on target and one goal. Deal done.

The result

Colombia started in a 3-4-3 under Lorenzo: Aldair Quintana in goal; Kevin Andrade, Davinson Sánchez and Jhon Lucumí in the back three; Édier Ocampo, Richard Ríos, Gustavo Puerta and Álvaro Angulo across midfield; Yáser Asprilla, Luis Javier Suárez and Jhon Arias in attack.

Paraguay lined up in a 4-4-2 for Alfaro: Orlando Gill; Juan Cáceres, Gustavo Gómez, Omar Alderete and Junior Alonso; Hugo Cuenca, Diego Gómez, Andrés Cubas and Miguel Almirón; Hugo Adrián Benítez and Julio Enciso up front.

That shape told the story. Colombia wanted width from Ocampo and Angulo, plus rotation between Asprilla and Arias. Paraguay accepted long spells without the ball, trusted their back four, and put Diego Gómez and Andrés Cubas in charge of the central collisions.

The first key incident came in the 42nd minute, when Cáceres was booked. Colombia made two changes in the 46th minute: Jaminton Campaz came on for Angulo, and Kevin Viveros replaced Suárez. Lorenzo wanted sharper feet between the lines and more movement up front.

But the match turned in the 56th minute. Benítez scored for Paraguay. No need to dress it up. The event data records it as a normal goal, and that is enough: Paraguay had waited, struck, and then made Colombia play against the clock.

In the 65th minute, Alfaro changed both the scorer and a booked defender: Alan Benítez came on for Cáceres, and Alex Arce replaced Hugo Adrián Benítez. The timing mattered. Paraguay had the goal, removed risk, and reset the front line.

Colombia pushed back with more changes in the 71st minute: Samuel Velásquez replaced Lucumí, and Matias Orozco came on for Ríos. In the same minute, Asprilla was booked. Cubas followed into the book in the 73rd minute, then Puerta was shown yellow in the 80th. The match had become stop-start, exactly the rhythm Paraguay wanted.

Matías Galarza replaced Hugo Cuenca in the 75th minute. Colombia made another double switch in the 83rd, with Daniel Muñoz on for Ocampo and Jhon Solís on for Puerta. Paraguay answered in the 85th minute, with Maurício replacing Almirón and Ramón Sosa coming on for Enciso. Colombia’s last move came in the 88th minute, when Camilo Durán replaced Arias.

Gustavo Gómez was booked in the 90th minute of regulation plus one minute of added time. By then, Paraguay were closing the file.

Why Paraguay won

Paraguay won because their best players did jobs that mattered.

Hugo Adrián Benítez had only four passes, but he took two shots, put both on target, and scored in the 56th minute. In a low-volume attacking plan, that is elite efficiency.

Diego Gómez was central to the win. He made five tackles, three interceptions, won nine of 14 duels, and helped keep Colombia from turning possession into clean chances. Cubas was just as important, even with the yellow card in the 73rd minute. He made eight tackles, won 10 of 16 duels, and gave Paraguay the bite Colombia could not play through consistently.

Behind them, Junior Alonso and Omar Alderete were excellent. Alonso won all four of his duels and added a key pass. Alderete completed 50 of 65 passes and gave Paraguay calm on the left side of the defence. Gustavo Gómez, Paraguay’s captain, helped keep the line together when Colombia overloaded the box late.

Orlando Gill also did his part: two saves, a clean sheet and no drama. In a 1-0 friendly win, that is the goalkeeper’s perfect contract.

Colombia had the ball, not the answer

Colombia’s numbers look good until the final third.

Gustavo Puerta was one of Lorenzo’s better players: 74 passes, 66 accurate, four successful dribbles from four attempts, and seven duels won from 10. He carried the ball well and tried to speed up Colombia’s circulation before his yellow card in the 80th minute and substitution in the 83rd.

Yáser Asprilla was Colombia’s most persistent threat. He had three shots, one on target, two key passes, six dribbles attempted and three completed. He also saw yellow in the 71st minute. That detail mattered because Paraguay’s midfield had dragged the match into a duel-heavy contest, and Asprilla was one of the few Colombian players trying to break it open.

Jhon Arias also offered craft: two key passes, nine duels won from 13, and 49 accurate passes from 53 before leaving in the 88th minute. Ocampo produced two key passes from the right side before being replaced in the 83rd. Davinson Sánchez, Colombia’s captain, was strong individually with a 7.7 rating, six duels won from nine, and three interceptions.

But Colombia’s issue was plain. Fourteen shots produced only two on target. Seven came from inside the box, seven from outside. The balance was there. The precision was not.

Match facts

• Final score: Colombia 0-1 Paraguay
• Goal: Hugo Adrián Benítez, Paraguay, 56th minute
• Yellow card: Juan Cáceres, Paraguay, 42nd minute
• Yellow card: Yáser Asprilla, Colombia, 71st minute
• Yellow card: Andrés Cubas, Paraguay, 73rd minute
• Yellow card: Gustavo Puerta, Colombia, 80th minute
• Yellow card: Gustavo Gómez, Paraguay, 90+1
• Substitution, Colombia, 46th minute: Jaminton Campaz on for Álvaro Angulo
• Substitution, Colombia, 46th minute: Kevin Viveros on for Luis Javier Suárez
• Substitution, Paraguay, 65th minute: Alan Benítez on for Juan Cáceres
• Substitution, Paraguay, 65th minute: Alex Arce on for Hugo Adrián Benítez
• Substitution, Colombia, 71st minute: Samuel Velásquez on for Jhon Lucumí
• Substitution, Colombia, 71st minute: Matias Orozco on for Richard Ríos
• Substitution, Paraguay, 75th minute: Matías Galarza on for Hugo Cuenca
• Substitution, Colombia, 83rd minute: Daniel Muñoz on for Édier Ocampo
• Substitution, Colombia, 83rd minute: Jhon Solís on for Gustavo Puerta
• Substitution, Paraguay, 85th minute: Maurício on for Miguel Almirón
• Substitution, Paraguay, 85th minute: Ramón Sosa on for Julio Enciso
• Substitution, Colombia, 88th minute: Camilo Durán on for Jhon Arias

Numbers

What it means

For Paraguay, this is exactly the kind of friendly result Alfaro will value: compact shape, strong duels, a clean sheet and one clinical moment. It gives him evidence, not just encouragement.

For Colombia, Lorenzo has a different problem to solve. The 3-4-3 gave his side possession and access into wide areas, but the final action was too soft. Asprilla, Arias and Puerta all showed enough to stay central to the plan, yet the attack needs a sharper edge.

There are no points attached to this defeat, but there is a message. In South American football, even friendlies punish waste. Paraguay understood that in Harrison. Colombia did not.

For Lorenzo, the next proposal must include the one clause Colombia lacked here: a finish.