Andrés Cubas: 'We have a great group, great players, and we can turn this around'

Paraguayan midfielder Andrés Cubas faced the media after a significant defeat in the team's World Cup opener against host nation the United States. He admitted the loss was a "hard blow" but emphasized the team's determination to rebound.

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Obviously it's a hard blow, but hey, we still have chances, there are still two games left to turn the page, so we have to work from tomorrow (today), look ahead and we still have chances.

Cubas analyzed the tactical shortcomings that led to the lopsided scoreline. He explained that Paraguay struggled to counter the opponent's movements and effectively exploit the spaces they found. The midfielder noted that conceding the first goal significantly impacted the team's ability to maintain composure and control the game's tempo. "We didn't know how to resolve the movements they presented us," Cubas stated, highlighting the opponent's success in finding open players and creating passing lanes.

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I think we didn't know how to resolve the movements they presented us. I think they always found the free man and the spaces, and after the first goal, I think it also cost us to recover, to get out of there, to keep calm and try to keep the game going. But hey, we have to learn from this and focus on what's next.

The central midfield area proved particularly challenging for Paraguay. Cubas acknowledged that the team's planned strategy, which aimed to stay compact and prevent through passes, was not executed on the field. He recognized the opponent's dynamic play and understanding, which Paraguay failed to match. "The idea was that, to stay together, avoid the passes between the lines that they were looking for," he said, admitting they couldn't implement their game plan.

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The idea was that, to stay together, avoid the passes between the lines that they were looking for, that we knew they had good feet and that they could hurt us that way. We couldn't do it, I think they had a dynamic and an understanding that today we didn't know how to resolve, so hey, let's think about what's next.

Despite the difficult start to the tournament, Cubas conveyed a sense of unity and resolve within the squad. He revealed that the players held a crucial discussion during halftime, emphasizing the need to fight until the end and improve. Cubas expressed confidence in the team's collective spirit and their ability to turn the situation around in the upcoming matches, signaling a commitment to work together with coach Gustavo Alfaro to achieve redemption.

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Obviously, in the first half, the idea and the situation was to continue. There were still 45 minutes left, obviously with an adverse result, but we had to continue until the end, improve what we had to improve. Now with the group, with the coach, co