SANTA CLARA, California, June 19 (Reuters) – Ten-man Paraguay eliminated Turkey with a courageous defensive effort to seal a dramatic 1-0 win on Friday after suffering a dismissal before halftime, with the fastest goal of the World Cup proving the difference.
Midfielder Matias Galarza wound up from 25 metres and fired a low rocket home after 64 seconds to eclipse Ismael Saibari’s 71-second strike in Morocco’s 1-0 win over Scotland conjured hours before.
Paraguay midfielder Miguel Almiron was given a straight red card in first-half stoppage time for putting his hand over his mouth in a confrontation with Turkey’s Mert Muldur, the first to fall foul of the new rule at the tournament.
It made Paraguay’s task that much harder but they weathered wave after wave of Turkey attacks to claim the win in a remarkable turnaround following their opening 4-1 demolition by the United States.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by Toby Davis)
