Paraguay stun Turkey to keep World Cup hopes alive

TLE Desk: Paraguay secured a shock 1-0 victory over Turkey on Friday despite playing more than half the match with 10 men, ending Turkey’s hopes of reaching the World Cup knockout stage.

Matias Galarza scored after just 65 seconds — the fastest goal of the tournament so far — and Paraguay defended resolutely to claim all three points at Levi’s Stadium.

The South Americans suffered a major setback late in the first half when Miguel Almirón was shown a red card after a VAR review found he had breached a new World Cup rule prohibiting players from covering their mouths during confrontations.

Despite being reduced to 10 men, Paraguay held firm, with goalkeeper Orlando Gill producing a series of crucial saves as Turkey dominated possession and outshot their opponents throughout the match.

The result guaranteed the United States top spot in Group D, while Turkey were eliminated after suffering a second consecutive defeat in their first World Cup appearance since 2002.

Turkey created numerous chances but again failed to find the net, extending their scoreless run to two matches. Midfielder Arda Güler described the team’s World Cup campaign as “embarrassing” and apologised to supporters.

Paraguay, beaten 4-1 by the United States in their opening match, revived their qualification hopes and will face Australia in their final group game next week with second place still within reach.

Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella said he was disappointed by the result but praised his players’ effort, insisting they had fought until the final whistle.