With a late penalty goal, Paraguay edged Korea DPR.
At the Centre Sportif de Colovray Nyon stadium in Switzerland on Saturday, Paraguay defeated North Korea 1-0 in a match between two 2010 World Cup competitors. Five minutes before the end of regulation, Roque Santa Cruz converted a penalty kick to give the Paraguayans the victory. They will now play in their fourth straight World Cup final.
Early in the game, Paraguay had the upper hand and came close to taking the lead when North Korean goalkeeper Ri Myong Guk deflected an Aureliano Torres shot for a corner kick in the 23rd minute.
A few minutes later, Myong Guk denied a Marcos Caceres header as the Paraguayans maintained applying pressure.
The greatest opportunity for Korea came in the 34th minute when a piledriver from Choe Kum Chol almost missed the Paraguay crossbar.
Despite Paraguay’s obvious dominance, the second half was played at a leisurely tempo akin to a training session. With a shot to the right post, Marcelo Estigarribia came close to scoring for the Albirroja.
Carlos Bonet and Claudio Morel Rodriguez both sent in dangerous crosses as Paraguay, who twice hit the post, continued to search down the sides for an early goal.
One of the several crosses into the box was handled by defender Nam Song Chol in the 85th minute, resulting in a penalty kick. Roque Santa Cruz, a striker for Manchester City, stepped up to the spot and finished forcefully without making a mistake.
The World Cup’s fifth team from South America, Paraguay, will play Ireland in a friendly on May 25 in Dublin.
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