Turkey was eliminated from the World Cup after a 1-0 loss to 10-man Paraguay on Friday, while the victory kept Paraguay’s hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive.
The result also guaranteed that co-hosts the United States would finish first in Group D.
Turkey became the second team after Haiti to be eliminated from the tournament.
Matías Galarza scored the only goal after just 63 seconds, with his low, long-range shot beating Turkey goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır.
Paraguay’s Miguel Almirón was shown a red card in first-half stoppage time after covering his mouth during an on-field confrontation with Turkey defender Mert Müldür.
He became the first player sent off under a new World Cup rule that penalizes players for covering their mouths during confrontations with opponents.
Turkey controlled much of the match after the dismissal but failed to turn its numerical advantage into a goal.
Deniz Gül had a chance to equalize in the 88th minute after Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill parried a shot into his path, but the Turkish forward sent his effort wide.
Merih Demiral glanced a header wide in the final seconds before Turkey’s players fell to the turf in disappointment.
The defeat was Turkey’s second in two matches after a 2-0 loss to Australia in its opening game. Turkey was making its first World Cup appearance since finishing third in 2002.
© Agence France-Presse
