Brighton & Hove Albion’s Julio Enciso Reflects on Missed Penalty and Paraguay’s Victory Over Venezuela.
Julio Enciso, Brighton & Hove Albion’s young midfielder, recently opened up about his struggles following a missed penalty during Paraguay’s 2-1 win over Venezuela in the World Cup qualifiers. The 20-year-old revealed that he requested to be substituted after missing an opportunity to equalize in the first half of the match.
The critical moment came when Venezuela took the lead through Jon Aramburu’s goal in the 25th minute. Enciso had a chance to level the score from the penalty spot but was unable to convert, kicking the ball straight into the hands of Venezuela’s goalkeeper, Rafael Romo. Reflecting on the incident, Enciso admitted that his confidence took a hit after the missed penalty.
In a candid interview with *Versus*, Enciso explained that he asked Paraguay manager Gustavo Alfaro to replace him at halftime, feeling he was unable to regain focus. However, Alfaro declined his request, opting to keep him on the field until the 88th minute. “He [Alfaro] told me that I was one of the players he loves very much, and that motivated me to stay on,” Enciso shared. “I told him to change me because I was totally unfocused when I didn’t score the goal. I was down, but luckily we were able to turn it around.”
Paraguay eventually secured a comeback win with two second-half goals from Torino’s Antonio Sanabria. Enciso expressed gratitude for the unwavering support from his teammates and coaching staff during a challenging moment. He also took the opportunity to apologize to Paraguayan fans. “I want to apologize to all the people. I know many are doubting my ability right now. I wanted to give them a goal, but I lost focus,” Enciso said. “I’m very happy that we were able to give the country the joy it deserves.”
Despite his struggles on the international stage, Enciso has been working to make his mark at Brighton, contributing an assist in two EFL Cup games, though his Premier League minutes have been limited to 75 across five appearances this season.
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