Gustavo Alfaro

Gustavo Alfaro is an Argentine coach who built his reputation on defensive organisation and pragmatic game-management at Boca Juniors, where he won the Superliga, and later guided Ecuador to the 2022 World Cup round of sixteen. With Paraguay he deploys a compact 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 that prioritises defensive solidity first, asking his wide midfielders to press aggressively and his double pivot to protect a back four that has historically been Paraguay's greatest asset.

Alfaro typically lines up in a 4-2-3-1, with Andrés Cubas and Damián Bobadilla forming a disciplined double pivot that shields the back four. Almirón operates as the advanced ten or right midfielder, pressing high and linking play. Build-up is direct rather than elaborate — Paraguay look to win the ball back quickly and transition through Almirón or wide runners like Ramón Sosa before the opposition can reset.