Alejandro "Kaku" Romero (center), of the Paraguayan national team, celebrates after scoring against Bolivia in a Copa América match held on Monday, June 14, 2021 in Goiania, Brazil. Photo: AP

Paraguay looks at everyone from above. It took an hour to break the resistance of a Bolivia that flirted with a surprise victory but ended up succumbing to the impact of an expulsion and the coronavirus.

Ángel and Alejandro Romero contributed the goals in the complement and Paraguay made their debut in the Copa América coming back to defeat Bolivia 3-1 on Monday.

With the victory in Goiania, the Guaraní team makes its horizon promising in Group A of the Copa América.

Erwin Santana converted a penalty to put Bolivia ahead, which faced the commitment with the absence of three players, including Marcelo Martins, the current leading scorer of the World Cup tie with six goals. All three tested positive for coronavirus on Saturday.

Despite the advantage, the situation in Bolivia was complicated by the expulsion of the attacker Jaume Cuéllar, who received his second yellow card in the first half discounts.

Erwin Saavedra, of the Bolivian national team, converts a penalty against Paraguay, in the Copa América match held on Monday, June 14, 2021, in Goiania, Brazil Photo: AP

Paraguay began the complement like a gale, while the Bolivians miraculously resisted. In a stretch of just four minutes, the Guaraní team turned the score around.

Alejandro “Kaku” Romero Gamarra equalized in the 62nd minute with a volley goal from outside the area. Ángel Romero got a double, at 65 and 80.

"We deserved to win because after the Bolivian penalty goal in the first half we went on the attack but only when Bolivia was left with one less player did we find the goal," said midfielder Romero Gamarra.

Completed the first date of the contest, the three points leave Albirroja as the leader in its area, ahead of Argentina and Chile, which in their debut equaled 1-1 in Rio de Janeiro.

Bolivia is last, without adding. It has not won a single Copa América match since the 1997 edition, when it hosted and beat Mexico in the semifinals. “When we were left with one less, we couldn't find our game. This will help us to look for corrections because the tournament has just started ”, said Saavedra.

Paraguay seemed to be suffering a curse in Goiania. Romero Gamarra's mid-distance spike volley to the ground in the 61st minute paved the way to a victory that by then should have already been thrashed, with a dozen very clearly dilapidated situations.

Once the first Paraguayan goal had arrived, the collapse of a diminished and exhausted team that won without kicking the goal and would have led the area giving a capital surprise.

In fact, the most repeated image during much of the contest was that of Argentine coach Eduardo Berizzo taking his head at every missed goal opportunity.

But justice ended up descending on the Goiania Olympic Stadium with Ángel Romero's double: at 65 he pushed the ball into the net almost under the goal and at 80 he finished off at the near post to overcome the weak resistance of goalkeeper Rúben Cordano —the Venezuelan coach César Farías dispensed with veteran goalkeeper Carlos Lampe, who would be among those infected with COVID-19.

"Our key was in the spaces that we created with Ángel Romero and Miguel Almiron," said Romero Gamarra.

The VAR was the protagonist in the first stage, it helped the Peruvian referee Diego Haro twice.

First, to punish the hand of Santiago Arzamendia that led to the criminal in favor of Bolivia. And then to go back with the sanction of a penalty for Paraguay (there was a previous offside).

In total, the game was stopped for 6:30 minutes between both reviews