FAP honors Paraguay’s Olympic silver medalists at its new headquarters

Paraguay’s Olympic silver medalists from Athens 2004 received a long-delayed tribute this week at the new headquarters of Futbolistas Asociados del Paraguay in Asunción’s Mburucuyá neighborhood.

The team secured Paraguay’s only Olympic medal 22 years ago, but the achievement had received little attention in the sporting calendar. The tribute brought together Rodrigo Romero, Blas Irala, Osvaldo Díaz, David Villalba, Carlos Jara Saguier, Diego Barreto, Éver Caballero, Gilberto Velázquez and Felipe Giménez. Jara Saguier coached the team. FAP president Rogelio Wilfrido Delgado hosted the gathering.

Paraguay entered the Athens tournament after finishing runner-up in the qualifying competition held in Chile in January 2004. In the final round of that tournament, the Albirroja defeated Brazil 1-0 to secure its place at the Games.

In Greece, Paraguay opened with a 4-3 win over Japan, with José Cardozo scoring twice and Pablo Giménez and Aureliano Torres adding goals. The team then lost 2-1 to Ghana before beating Italy 1-0. Paraguay defeated South Korea 3-2 in the quarterfinals and Iraq 3-1 in the semifinal.

The final against Argentina took place on Aug. 18. Carlos Tévez scored in the 18th minute to give Argentina the gold medal and leave Paraguay with silver. The reunion included a toast to the players who achieved that result more than two decades ago.