Day 7: Sweden vs. Paraguay

Sweden 1 -- Paraguay 0

#9 FREDDIE LJUNBERG (Sweden) 89'

Oh the accursed last minute goal that has plagued so many teams ! The late strike. The final blow. Nothing is more heartbreaking to know that your efforts are all washed away by one tidal wave of a strike. Sometimes the blow isn't that monumental; at times a trickle is enough to land the killer blow, back-breaking straw on the camel. Yet again, this was the case today as Sweden took the game away from Paraguay in keenly contested and even battle. Having lost their previous game, Paraguay was looking to snatch three points from this encounter at all costs no matter what, whilst their Scandinavian foes were still licking their wounds when lowly Trinidad & Tobage shocked them to a draw and needed to bounce back in splendid fashion. The Swedes were making it a habit to be bogged down by lesser attacks but as the story goes, the quick attack of Sweden against the feared defence of Paraguay, this was going to be a classic and so it was.

Johan Elmander whipped in a cross to Marcus Allback who duly headed the ball to set up Ljunberg for the game winner which was sent as far away from the diving Aldo Bobadilla. Bobadilla has been in spectacular form throughout this tournament and again proved it to the world in this game, all but for that intangible strike. Paraguay never looked threatening in this game or in their previous encounter either and really have no one to blame but their offence and midfield that did not provide enough chances. The defence and of course Bobadilla were terrific but they needed help from up front to tighten the nooze around the opposition's neck if they wanted a realistic chance of advancing.