Paraguay claim second, T&T a point
A goalless draw between Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago in Cairo was enough to see the South Americans qualify for the last 16 as the second-placed team in Group A, while Trinidad and Tobago deservedly picked up their first point of the competition in their final game.
With his team already qualified from the last matchday, Adrian Coria made no fewer than six changes to his starting line-up from the team that defeated Egypt, which was reflected in the cohesion of his team's performance.
For all Paraguay's pressure and possession in the first half, they did not create many chances. Indeed, their best opportunity of the half came in the opening ten minutes, when Aldo Paniagua's shot from just inside the box forced Joel Silva into a great save. Hernan Perez also had a shot from the edge of the box, but it whistled past the left hand post.
Trinidad and Tobago had to wait until midway through the first half for their first attempt when Khaleem Hyland's shot went just wide. Four minutes later, Robert Primus headed just over from a free-kick as their confidence grew. This rise in self-belief was confirmed when Jake Thomson tried to beat the keeper from a full 40 yards, but it again went wide.
As the half drew to a close, Paniagua, Paraguay's matchwinner against Egypt, was at the heart of two good opportunities for the South Americans. Firstly, he saw a right foot shot flash across the face of goal and then set-up Luis Paez, who headed his cross over the bar.
Paraguay had most of the ball after the break, but both sides lacked fluency and as a result failed to create many clear-cut chances. A long-range drive from Celso Ortiz forced Glenroy Samuel into a scrambling stop. Ortiz had another crack from distance, which whistled just wide.
Silva almost put his side into trouble when he came rushing off his line to collect a loose ball, but failed to reckon with the pace of Juma Clarence, who got their first only to knock his cheeky lob over the bar. Celso Ortiz forced Samuel into another save in the final minute, which the United Petrolin goalkeeper gathered at the second attempt.
The supporters at the Al Salam Stadium did have some goals to cheer, but they were Egypt's in the hosts' 4-2 victory over Italy, which gave Paraguay second spot in Group A, setting up a clash with Group C's second place team in Cairo on Monday 5 October.
