Alcaraz

With all the talk lately about Wigan Athletic having to sell to buy, it is refreshing to see that we aren’t just waiting to see what starlets are at the World Cup, we are signing them first. The signing today of Antolin Alcaraz, a Paraguayan defender, sees 7 players representing Latics at this year’s World Cup Finals.

Roberto Martinez has broken the Latics mould by buying Antolin Alcaraz, a Paraguayan defender before anybody has been sold. Although the cynic in me sees this as getting replacements in first, maybe we actually don’t need to sell this year unless stupid money is being offered.

The arrival of a new Centre Half has raised eyebrows and we won’t have to wait until preseason to see him as he will be on our TV Screens in the World Cup Finals in June. That means we will have 7 representatives in South Africa, our new signing will be with Maynor Figueroa, Steve Gohouri, Hendry Thomas, Richard Kingson, Vladimir Stojkovic and Won Hee-Cho.

Talking about our new signing the Club statement reads:

The club are delighted to announce they have agreed terms to sign World Cup bound Paraguayan international centre half Antolin Alcaraz.

Latics manager Roberto Martinez said: “We are thrilled to have been able to capture a player’s of the calibre of Antolin. I think everyone will realise what a quality player he is when we see him at the World Cup for Paraguay.

“He is a highly versatile defender with great awareness and distribution and has great pride in keeping clean sheets. He is entering the best period of his career and is looking forward to adding to his international and European experience, as well as playing for his country in the World Cup.”

The powerful 6 ft 2 inch centre half has been a virtual ever-present at Belgian giants Club Brugge for two and a half seasons, playing almost 70 times in the league and 16 European games for the team who have just finished 2nd in the Belgian League behind Anderlecht.

He previously spent time in Portugal with SC Beira Mar, having initially come to play in Europe for Fiorentina in Italy.

Hopefully he is ours… says so anyway not sure about their keeper ;)

Antolin Alcaraz becomes club’s first World Cup goalscorer with header against Italy

After Wigan Athletic fans watched the club’s first playing representatives at a World Cup there was further cause for celebration when Antolin Alcaraz became Latics’ first goal-scorer at a major international tournament, with his goal against Italy on Monday night.

The Paraguayan centre-half gave a fantastic performance against the reigning World Champions in Cape Town and minutes before half-time took the chance to make his mark on the biggest stage of them all.

Getting onto the end of a Aureliano Torres free-kick Alcaraz towered above Daniele De Rossi and Fabio Cannavaro to cushion a header past the helpless Gianluigi Buffon, putting Paraguay 1-0 up and bagging the first goal of his international career along the way.

But Alcaraz wasn’t finished there, going on to produce a steely-display at the back, showing all the qualities that convinced Roberto Martinez to snap-up his signature before he travelled to South Africa.

Confident, Alcaraz made clever use of the ball in possession and spent the majority of the evening tussling with Alberto Gilardino, allowing the Italian forward little room to manoeuvre and making a number of reflex challenges inside his own area to avert danger time and again.

After the game the defender was awarded the Budweiser Man of the Match Award, and speaking to FIFA.com described a memorable moment in his career;

“I want to share this prize with my colleagues, because without them you’re nothing,” said Alcaraz.

“For the goal I was fortunate enough to get in ahead of the defender and after that I just needed to nod it in. It was an incredible feeling to score a goal that I’ll always remember very fondly.”

De Rossi managed to pull back an equaliser for the Azzurri on the hour-mark, poking home from inside the six-yard box.

Paraguay prepare to take on Slovakia next, this Sunday at 12.30pm, boosted by this performance and with a real chance of progressing past the group stage.

Paraguay defender Antolin Alcaraz is looking forward to life at Wigan after the World Cup despite a rising interest in the 28-year-old following his dramatic goal against Italy in Group F on Monday night.