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Paraguay boosted their FIFA World Cup 2026 hopes with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Turkiye in Group D, securing three vital points and eliminating the European side from contention for the Round of 32.
The South Americans made a dream start at the San Francisco Bay Area venue, striking just 65 seconds after kick-off. A misplaced Turkish pass gifted possession to Paraguay, and Matias Galarza wasted no time in punishing the mistake. Spotting space from distance, the midfielder unleashed a powerful effort that flew beyond goalkeeper Ugurcan akir to give Los Guaranies an early advantage. Stunned by the setback, Turkiye gradually settled into the contest and began creating opportunities. Arda Guler fired over the bar in the 14th minute before Kenan Yildiz tested goalkeeper Orlando Gill with an ambitious bicycle kick. The Turks came agonisingly close to an equaliser shortly after the half-hour mark when Mert Muldur's header from a free-kick rattled both the crossbar and the post before somehow staying out. Paraguay remained dangerous on the counterattack, with Juan Jose Caceres forcing a fine save from akir. However, the game took a dramatic turn just before half-time when Miguel Almiron was shown a red card following an altercation with an opponent, leaving Paraguay to play the entire second half with 10 men. Despite their numerical advantage, Turkiye struggled to find a breakthrough after the interval. Paraguay nearly doubled their lead when Julio Enciso cut inside from the right but dragged his shot wide. At the other end, substitute Deniz Gul headed straight at Gill from a promising position. As the clock ticked down, Turkiye increased the pressure. Can Uzun sent one effort narrowly wide before squandering the visitors' best chance late in the match, shooting directly at Gill after a well-worked attacking move. Defender Merih Demiral also had an opportunity deep into stoppage time but headed off target. The final whistle confirmed Paraguay's first win of the tournament and strengthened their chances of reaching the knockout stage. For Turkiye, a second consecutive defeat ended their World Cup dream, with their final group match against the United States now carrying only pride. (ANI)
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