Paraguay Defenders Say Team Must Adapt to New FIFA Rules

Paraguayan defenders Junior Alonso and Omar Alderete are adapting to FIFA's stringent new regulations during the World Cup, acknowledging the need to learn from any missteps. The team is preparing for their crucial match against Australia.

Alonso stated that while the rules were established before the tournament, the team must learn from errors to avoid further issues. He specifically pointed to the strict time limits for restarting play, noting that the interpretation often falls to the referee's discretion. "There are many games where, for example, with respect to the 5 seconds, it is up to the referee's interpretation whether to call it or not," Alonso said.

The players feel the application of these rules has been inconsistent. Alonso cited an example from their match against Turkey, where he perceived the referee enforced the time count more strictly against Paraguay than against their opponents. "We consider that against Turkey, for example, the referee was counting faster for us than for the Turks," he explained. Despite the challenges, Alonso emphasized the necessity of adapting quickly to these imposed rules to prevent them from negatively impacting their performance.

The Paraguayan Football Association (APF) provided a one-hour briefing on the rule changes. However, the team's focus remains on their upcoming game against Australia, with limited additional video analysis on these specific rule details. The players are determined to adjust and move forward, focusing on the match ahead.