- Date:2010-06-20
- Kick-off:12:30
- Venue:Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
- Attendance:26663
- Referee:Maillet, E
Live Commentary
90mins
Full-Time: SLOVAKIA 0-2 PARAGUAY.
90mins
Weiss shoots from 25 yards, it's high, wide and not too handsome.
90mins
Four minutes of added time to be played.
89mins
Stoch batters into Riveros and concedes a free-kick just outside the Paraguay area.
88mins
Edgar Barreto enters the fray in place of Vera.
86mins
That's game over now and the South Americans are good vale for the victory.
86mins
SLOVAKIA 0-2 PARAGUAY, Torres' free-kick into the area is not cleared and the ball eventually falls to RIVEROS, who lashes home a left-footer from just inside the area.
85mins
Time is ticking away for Slovakia, who have shown little in attack, particularly in the second half.
84mins
Weiss and Torres clash and the former picks up a yellow card for his actions. That may be a case of mistaken identity.
83mins
Slovakia introduce Miroslav Stoch for Salata.
82mins
Oscar Cardozo takes the place of Barrios.
81mins
Subs on the way from both benches.
80mins
Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino is looking a little concerned.
78mins
Torres has a pop from long range and his left-footer is only a couple of feet over Mucha's crossbar.
75mins
Hamsik fouls Da Silva. Hamsik is highly-rated at Napoli, but has struggled to show his class on the biggest stage.
74mins
Defender Antolin Alcaraz rejoins the game after an ankle knock.
72mins
It's almost 2-0 as Santa Cruz gets clear down the left and his cross is headed inches wide of the near post by Vera from ten yards out.
71mins
The game has become a bit scrappy in recent minutes, with Slovakia still seeking to test Villar in the Paraguay goal.
70mins
Slovakia bring on Filip Holosko for Sestak.
68mins
Paraguay replace Valdez with Aureliano Torres.
67mins
Valdez keeps Slovakia penned back near their own goal-line, he has given everything this afternoon.
66mins
Santa Cruz takes a kick from Skrtel, but the referee waives play on. That could have been a booking.
65mins
Twenty-five minutes to play and Paraguay could do with another goal to make the game safe.
63mins
Corner to Slovakia, which is half-cleared a couple of times before Paraguay force their opponents back.
62mins
Morel plays a cross behind for a goal-kick, he's gets forward so well from left-back.
60mins
Skrtel hacks away a Santa Cruz ball back from the far post.
60mins
Claudio Morel Rodriguez lifts the ball into the area, but Skrtel takes control and clears well.
58mins
Durica is brought down by Bonet on the halfway line, as Slovakia just try to increase the tempo a little.
57mins
Sestak latches onto a rare Paraguay mistake, but his attempted cross is blocked.
54mins
Slovakia are still labouring in their attempts to try and test the Paraguay backline.
52mins
Sestak whips a cross in from the right and Vittek is within inches of making a connection.
51mins
Paraguay enjoy the early possession again, they look quite comfortable at the moment.
49mins
Valdez makes an excellent block as Pekarik lines up a shot from 25 yards.
47mins
Sestak brings down Riveros and rightly gets a yellow card.
46mins
Neither side have made any changes at the interval.
46mins
Paraguay start the second half.
45mins
Half-Time: SLOVAKIA 0-1 PARAGUAY.
45mins
One minute of added time to be played.
45mins
Goalscorer Vera is cautioned for a foul.
45mins
Sestak breaks the offside trap, but cannot reach the ball before keeper Justo Villar.
44mins
Valdez and Barrios get in each other's way as a cross comes in from the right, Skrtel boost the ball clear.
42mins
Durica is booked for a tackle from behind on Barrios.
40mins
Five minutes to half-time and Paraguay are clearly the better side.
39mins
Slovakia give away possession in defence and Mucha makes a fine save with his foot to deny Santa Cruz from the edge of the area.
37mins
Kozak's delivery finds Kornel Salata ten yards out, but he cannot direct his header on target. That was a half-chance.
37mins
Slovakia win their first corner of the game.
36mins
Jan Kozak's free-kick is headed out for a throw-in on the left.
35mins
Santa Cruz runs clear down the right, but his cross is cut out, before Slovakia mount a quick counter which eventually peters out.
34mins
Sestak plays the ball in from the right and almost finds the arriving Vittek.
33mins
Barrios almost gets in down the right, but is dispossessed and Slovakia clear.
33mins
Hamsik leads a good move down the left, but after getting the ball back from Sestak fires his left-foot cross out of play for a goal-kick.
31mins
Paraguay's front three keep putting the pressure on the Slovakia defence, causing them to lose possession.
29mins
Slovakia may be forced to come out and play a bit more now, as their last group game is against Italy.
28mins
That's just reward for the South Americans being the more positive side.
27mins
SLOVAKIA 0-1 PARAGUAY, a fine move sees Paraguay take the lead as Barrios finds VERA just inside the area and he bends a right-foot shot beyond Mucha into the corner of the net.
25mins
Valdez turns inside off the left flank, but his 25-yard shot is way off target and out for a goal-kick.
23mins
Barrios links up well with Vera on the right, before flashing a 20-yard shot wide of Mucha's near post, the keeper had that well covered.
23mins
Midway through the first half and we're still waiting for the first goal.
21mins
Riveros is pulled down by Marek Hamsik, Slovakia are certainly giving away a number of free-kicks.
20mins
Mucha collects well as Cristian Riveros rifles in a 20-yard right-foot shot after good work on the left by Valdez.
19mins
A load of pushing and shoving leads to a free-kick being taken again and it almost finds Paulo Da Silva arriving at the far post.
17mins
Vladimir Weiss and Robert Vittek combine well on the right, before Sestak is crowded out in the Paraguay area.
15mins
Fifteen minutes in and Slovakia look set up to try and secure a point.
14mins
Peter Pekarik brings down Santa Cruz, another free-kick for Paraguay.
13mins
Bonet tries to find Santa Cruz on the left side, but his pass is far to strong.
11mins
Skrtel is penalised for a high tackle on Barrios, more danger for Slovakia.
10mins
Jan Durica makes a run down the left and finds plenty of space, but balloons his cross way over the crossbar and out of play.
8mins
Nelson Valdez is hacked down by Martin Skrtel inside the Slovakia half.
8mins
Stanislav Sestak and Carlos Bonet collide and Paraguay have the free-kick in their own half.
6mins
A bright opening to the game and the South Americans seem to have the upper hand.
4mins
Paraguay mount another patient attack, before Enrique Vera fires well wide from 20 yards out.
3mins
Santa Cruz shoots from just outside the left edge of the area and keeper Jan Mucha makes a fine save as the effort takes a deflection.
3mins
Lucas Barrios fires over a fine cross from the right, but it's just too high for two team-mates in the area.
2mins
Slovakia enjoy the early possession, but their first attack is ended by an offside flag.
1mins
Referee Eddy Maillet of the Seychelles gets the game underway.
0mins
Roque Santa Cruz is in the starting line-up for the South Americans, while Slovakia have made three changes.
0mins
Slovakia conceded a last-minute equaliser in their opening game against New Zealand, while Paraguay held reigning champions Italy to a 1-1 draw.
0mins
Slovakia and Paraguay meet in Bloemfontein in a potentially decisive Group F encounter.
Match Report
Paraguay took a massive step towards reaching the last 16 of the World Cup by clinching a deserved 2-0 victory over Slovakia in Bloemfontein.
Striker Roque Santa Cruz returned to the starting line-up for the South Americans, while Slovakia coach Vladimir Weiss made three changes from the side which drew 1-1 with New Zealand.
Santa Cruz came close to breaking the deadlock within three minutes when his shot from just outside the left edge of the area took a slight deflection and forced keeper Jan Mucha into a fine save at his near post.
Twenty minutes in Mucha collected well after Cristian Riveros rifled in a 20-yard right-foot shot after good work on the left by Nelson Valdez.
Three minutes later Lucas Barrios linked up well with Enrique Vera on the right, before flashing a 20-yard shot wide of Mucha's near post.
Four minutes later Paraguay took a well-deserved lead as the lively Barrios played in Vera just inside the area and he bent a right-foot shot beyond Mucha and into the corner of the net.
The South Americans continued to dominate after taking the lead and six minutes before the break Slovakia gave away possession in defence, with Mucha having to make a fine save with his foot to deny Santa Cruz from the edge of the area.
Slovakia attempted to show more attacking intent in the opening stages of the second half, but were unable to force Paraguay keeper Justo Villar into action.
With a little over 20 minutes to play Paraguay almost made it 2-0 as Santa Cruz ran clear down the left and his cross was headed inches wide of the near post by Vera from ten yards out.
Four minutes from time the South Americans finally made the game safe, as Aureliano Torres' free-kick into the area was not cleared and the ball eventually fell to Riveros, who lashed home a left-footer from just inside the area.
Right at the death Robert Vittek finally extended Villar, with a right-footer from 25 yards which forced the keeper into a fine tip-over, but it was far too little too late for Slovakia.
Slovakia Team
- Jan Mucha
- Peter Pekarik
- Martin Skrtel
- Vladimir Weiss
- Marek Hamsik
Paraguay Team
Slovakia | Paraguay |
Corners
| 3 | 1 |
Fouls
| 16 | 18 |
Goal attempts
Shots off target
| 3 | 5 |
Offsides
| 3 | 0 |
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90mins
Vittek finally extends Villar, with a right-footer from 25 yards which forces the keeper into a fine tip-over.