U.S. clinches WC Group D after Paraguay victory
Key takeaways
- The win assured the United States would win Group D and eliminated Türkiye from any chance of advancing to the knockout round with its second straight loss.
- Paraguay was short-handed after Miguel Almirón was issued a red card late in the first half for violating a new rule banning players from covering their mouth during a confrontation.
- Paraguay bounced back from a 4-1 loss in the opener against the U.S. team thanks in part to a lineup change made by Gustavo Alfaro.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Matías Galarza scored 65 seconds into the game for the fastest goal at this year's World Cup and Paraguay held on for a 1-0 win over Türkiye on Friday night after playing a man down for more than half the match.
The win assured the United States would win Group D and eliminated Türkiye from any chance of advancing to the knockout round with its second straight loss. Paraguay will face Australia in the final match of the group stage next Thursday with second place in the group on the line.
Paraguay was short-handed after Miguel Almirón was issued a red card late in the first half for violating a new rule banning players from covering their mouth during a confrontation. But goalkeeper Orlando Gill made several key saves to preserve the lead.