The Paraguay national team achieved a narrow victory over Turkey in the World Cup and kept their chances of advancing from the group. The Turkish team, after a second consecutive defeat, was prematurely eliminated from playoff contention.
The Paraguay national team defeated Turkey 1-0 in the second round of the group stage of the World Cup and returned to the fight for a place in the next stage of the tournament.
The fate of the match was decided early on. In the second minute, Matías Galarza made a precise long-range shot, sending the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal.
Turkey came close to equalizing before halftime. In the 35th minute, after a cross into the penalty area, Mert Müldür headed the ball, but it first hit the crossbar and then the post.
In several other instances, Paraguay's goalkeeper Orlando Hill saved the team, keeping their goal intact.
A serious test for Paraguay came with the red card shown to Miguel Almirón at the end of the first half. After the red card, the team was forced to play the entire second half with one player less.
Notably, Almirón became the first player of the tournament to be sent off under the new rules, which stipulate a red card for covering the mouth with a hand during a conflict on the field.
What is important to know: despite playing with ten men throughout the entire second half, Paraguay managed to hold on to the winning score and maintain a real chance to advance to the playoffs.
In another group match, the USA defeated Australia 2-0, securing their place in the next round of the tournament.
After two rounds in Group D, the Americans lead with six points. Australia and Paraguay have three points each, while Turkey remains without any points.
This defeat was fatal for the Turkish national team: even a victory in the final match will not allow them to advance to the playoffs.
The group stage of the World Cup will conclude on June 27, after which the knockout matches will begin. The battle for places in the next stage in Group D will continue until the last round.
