Sports / Soccer |
Paraguay beat U.S. to reach quarter-finals(Reuters)Updated: 2007-07-04 09:14 BARINAS, Venezuela, July 2 - Paraguay reached the quarter-finals of the Copa America with a 3-1 win over the United States on Monday. Second-half goals from strikers Oscar Cardozo and Salvador Cabanas gave Paraguay six points from two games in Group C. The United States, who brought an experimental side after winning the Gold Cup last month, have yet to score a point but still have a mathematical chance of progressing to the quarters. Sacha Kjelstan and Eddie Johnson both missed early chances as the United States started brightly while Paraguay, 5-0 winners over Colombia in their opener, hit the post with a Dario Veron header. Midfielder Edgar Barreto put Paraguay ahead on the half-hour mark when he slid the ball past Kasey Keller after running onto an incisive pass from Jonathan Santana. The United States levelled 10 minutes later, Ricardo Clark scoring with a low shot from the edge of the penalty area that went through a defender's legs. Paraguay were forced to replace goalkeeper Justo Villar in the 56th minute when he pulled a muscle and Aldo Bobadilla took his place. Thirty seconds later, Oscar Cardozo pounced on a bad back pass and placed the ball past Keller to put Paraguay back in front. The United States fought back well and substitute Justin Mapp hit the crossbar with a shot on the run less than three minutes after coming on. Bobadilla, shunted into the reserves at Boca Juniors, saved Paraguay three times in the last 10 minutes, turning away a long-range shot from Clark and holding headers from Taylor Twellman and Eddie Johnson. Cabanas converted an injury-time free kick for his third goal in two games.
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