Colombia And Paraguay Play Out A Goalless
Colombia and Paraguay played out a goalless draw at Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez as both teams extended their respective winless runs to five games.
In turn, Paraguay’s hopes of FIFA World Cup qualification diminished ever further.
Both teams required vital points to get their campaigns back on track, and there was always a sense that the opening blow might be decisive, with the sides playing a combined 780 minutes without scoring a goal ahead of kick-off.
Something had to give tonight, and Paraguay certainly brought their tackling boots in an effort to avoid giving Colombia the early impetus, as the hostile atmosphere in the stands was replicated on the pitch.
The referee dished out two yellow cards within the first seven minutes alone, following some dangerous tackles, setting the tone for a fraught opening 45 minutes.
Colombia dominated possession for the majority of the first half, but failed to make any of their four attempts count.
Having resisted the Coffee Growers’ energy for so long, Paraguay almost stole the lead moments before the half-time whistle, when Miguel Almirón struck the post.
Colombia manager Reinaldo Rueda Rivera made three substitutions at the break, looking to give his side some more firepower.
However, it failed to make the desired impact on a stubborn Paraguay backline, and home fans in attendance began to get restless as the second-half moved at a slow pace.
Nobody mustered a second-half shot on target, and Andrés Cubas was sent off for a second bookable offence late in a very forgettable game.
The draw puts Colombia in 4th place on 17 points in the South American qualification zone table, and stretches their unbeaten home record to five games.
Paraguay sit in ninth and on 13 points, adding a seventh draw to their qualification campaign and leaving them still searching for their first victory under new boss Guillermo Barros Schelotto.
Source: FlashScore
Okeke Chinedu Emmanuel
OKEKE Emmanuel loves his space a lot and also lots of gaming time
