Paraguay 1-0 – Matias Galarza scored 65 seconds in, and Paraguay survived after Miguel Almiron was sent off in the first half. Orlando Gill produced crucial saves as the 10-man Paraguay held a 1-0 win over Turkiye, eliminating the Turks from knockout contention.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The ball barely settled before Matias Galarza struck, and Paraguay’s night began the way it wanted: with a goal at 1:05. Then everything turned into survival.
Galarza’s left-footed effort from about 25 yards gave Paraguay a 1-0 lead over Turkiye on Friday night. but the advantage came with a catch. Miguel Almiron was issued a red card late in the first half after violating a new World Cup rule banning players from covering their mouth during a confrontation. Paraguay played more than half the match with 10 men, and goalkeeper Orlando Gill became the final wall.
Gill made several key saves to preserve the lead as Turkiye pressed. Early in the second half, he stopped a tricky deflection on a shot by Merih Demiral. Midway through the half, Gill again denied Abdulkerim Bardakci on a long-range attempt. Late in the half. he thwarted Can Uzun from close range. then after Deniz Gul sent the rebound wide. Turkiye’s urgency remained unanswered.
Turkiye nearly drew level during the first half as well. Mert Muldur’s header off a free kick struck the cross bar and the goal post, sending the ball out before it could cross the line.
The red card moment came from stoppage time in the first half. when Almiron and Muldur exchanged words following a foul near midfield. Almiron covered his mouth while speaking to Muldur, and Muldur appealed to referee Ivan Barton for punishment. Barton went to video review and quickly ruled that Almiron would be shown a red card and ejected under the new rule in place for this year’s World Cup.
For Paraguay, it was a painful disruption that reshaped the match. For Turkiye, it was another reminder that possession can’t buy you points on nights like this.
The result kept Group D in motion but ended Turkiye’s tournament before the group stage is finished. The win assured the United States will win Group D and eliminated Turkiye 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 also had to answer the disappointment of its opener, a 4-1 loss to the United States. Gustavo Alfaro responded with a lineup change that paid off immediately. Galarza. who plays for Atlanta United of the MLS. was put into the starting lineup after sitting out the opener and rewarded his coach with the tournament’s fastest goal at this year’s World Cup.
Turkiye. meanwhile. had entered the competition for the first time since 2002. unable to reproduce the type of run that season led to a third-place finish. even as the team had been seen as a favorite to advance from the group. On the field, they dominated possession again for a second straight match, but they couldn’t finish their chances.
In the end, Turkiye’s last hope arrived in stoppage time. Merih Demiral’s header went wide, and that final miss closed the door.
The scoreboard read 1-0, but the story was harsher than that: Paraguay scored early, lost a player to a rule-based red card, and then held on as Gill turned the match into a defensive test Turkiye couldn’t pass.
Paraguay vs Turkiye Matias Galarza Miguel Almiron red card Orlando Gill saves World Cup Group D Mert Muldur header crossbar post Ivan Barton video review Gustavo Alfaro Atlanta United Can Uzun Abdulkerim Bardakci Merih Demiral