ASUNCION, June 1 (Reuters) - Gustavo Alfaro is being hailed in Paraguay as the key figure behind the rapid turnaround of a team who had struggled in South American qualifying and are now World Cup-bound, with many crediting a strategy rooted in psychology.
Since taking over in August 2024, the 63-year-old Argentine manager has won over both players and fans with results and a motivational style, often drawing on authors and historical figures to reinforce soccer-related ideas.
Alfaro led Paraguay to a sixth-place finish in the South American qualifiers, securing the continent's final automatic World Cup berth and the country's first appearance on international soccer's biggest stage since 2010.
Alfaro has said he keeps a notebook of reflections to use when he wants to strengthen a concept within the group, having cited the likes of Albert Einstein and five-times Formula One world champion Juan Manuel Fangio.
Quotes such as "We triumph and fail less than we think," by Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges, are among those he has used during a career that has included spells with Ecuador, Costa Rica and Boca Juniors.
Alfaro urged players to rediscover the "grit" long associated with Paraguay and to believe they can compete with powerhouses such as Brazil and Argentina, echoing their historic 2010 campaign in South Africa, when they reached the quarter-finals before losing to eventual winners Spain.
He brought a psychologist into his coaching staff for individual sessions tailored to each player and forged a strong connection with fans as results improved - the coach was once hugged by a supermarket worker in tears and had his face tattooed by another fan.
Paraguay's remarkable qualifying campaign under Alfaro included climbing from the bottom of the standings, a nine-match unbeaten run and victories over Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay.
After defeating Brazil, Alfaro told reporters: "All I had to do was shake the tree a little so the spiders would fall off and we could realise the tree was full of fruit." He described the win over Uruguay as "the mother of all battles".
Results dipped later in qualifying and friendlies, raising questions over whether his approach will be enough on the global stage, as Paraguay prepare to debut against co-hosts the United States in Los Angeles on June 12.
Also facing Australia and Turkey in Group D, the South American team will rely on a solid defensive system led by 33-year-old captain Gustavo Gomez to reach the knockout stage, after conceding only 10 goals in 18 qualifying matches.
(Reporting by Daniela Desantis; Writing by Gabriel Araujo; Editing by Javier Leira and Christian Radnedge)
