Group B: Paraguay 2, Trinidad & Tobago 0 A Brent Sancho own goal and a late strike from the Paraguayan substitute Nelson Cuevas ended Trinidad & Tobago's last hope of reaching the knockout phase of the World Cup. Needing a win to stand any chance of reaching the last 16, the Soca Warriors pushed forward with intent and Aldo Bobadilla needed to make a smart save to deny Cornell Glen in the opening stages.
But Paraguay were even more of a threat, although their opener came in fortuitous circumstances as Sancho turned the ball into his own net after Julio Dos Santos had turned Roberto Acuña's free-kick goalwards.
Jack was called upon to make an unorthodox clearance inside the first minute when he chested down Edgar Barreto's punt forward, then belted the ball into touch. The goalkeeper demonstrated his goalkeeping ability shortly afterwards when he flung himself to the left to turn away a goalbound Roque Santa Cruz flicked header.
The Soca Warriors nearly scored on their first attack when Cornell Glen met Dwight Yorke's free-kick with a firm header which Aldo Bobadilla did well to palm away. Aurtis Whitley then sent a half-volley flying over before Santa Cruz was off target as he tried to nod home a Barreto corner. Bobadilla punched a Yorke free-kick away from his six-yard area as Trinidad pushed forward.
Barreto went down clutching his head when it appeared he had been hit by nothing more than the ball before Jack was almost embarrassed when Nelson Valdez read his intention to control with his chest once more. The Paraguay striker nipped in to nick possession away from the goalkeeper but could get no power behind his overhead kick as the Trinidad defence closed in and Dennis Lawrence scurried back to clear.
Paraguay did not have long to wait for an opener though as, when Acuña swung over a free-kick Dos Santos got enough power into his header to panic Sancho into a despairing lunge which succeeded only in turning the ball into his own goal.
Carlos Paredes was booked for taking down Whitley off the ball and before Yorke could take the free-kick, Beenhakker replaced John with Kenwyne Jones as Trinidad stepped up their search for an equaliser. But the next scare was at the Trinidad end where Valdez brought another good save from Jack. Paraguay thought they had got a second seconds later when Denis Caniza fired home but, correctly, the effort was ruled out for offside. Valdez brought another save from Jack before Jones booted a Paredes shot off the line.
The knowledge England were leading would have filtered through to the Trinidad dressingroom during the break, which made the Carlos Edwards cross which just evaded Yorke and Chris Burchill all the more frustrating. At the other end Jack made yet another save to deny Paredes.
After Bobadilla had touched an Edwards cross away from Stern John's head, Wise showed his naivety in trying to drill home the rebound from an impossible angle. Valdez was replaced by Nelson Cuevas midway through the second half and he had the decisive impact, notching Paraguay's second in the 86th minute.
SUBSTITUTIONS
PARAGUAY: Manzur for Caceres (78 mins), Da Silva for Caniza (88 mins), Cuevas for Valdez (66 mins). Subs not used: Bonet, Cabanas, Gavilan, Gomez, Lopez, Montiel, Riveros, Toledo, Villar. Booked: Paredes, Dos Santos.
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: Jones for Avery John (31 mins), Latapy for Whitley (66 mins), Wise for Glen (41 mins). Subs not used: Andrews, Charles, Cox, Gray, Hislop, Ince, Samuel, Scotland, Wolfe. Booked: Sancho, Whitley.
Referee: Roberto Rosetti (Italy).
