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| USA v Paraguay: Copa América – live! | USA v Paraguay: Copa América – live! |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 12.14am BST | |
| 00:14 | |
| 8 min: Ayala’s ball in, and Guzan claims comfortably. That cross was rubbish! | |
| 12.13am BST | |
| 00:13 | |
| 7 min: USA have started well. They’ve definitely enjoyed the territorial advantage, but then Lezcano escapes down the left, and wins a free kick on the left side. Cameron was late, and this is a chance. | |
| 12.12am BST | |
| 00:12 | |
| 5 min: Johnson standing over it, and it’s over the wall, but straight at Villar. Decent effort, but comfortable for the goalie. | |
| 12.11am BST | |
| 00:11 | |
| 4 min: Well, four minutes in, and it’s been entertaining! No sitting back from either side. Dempsey wins a free kick on the left side, and another! That was an intemperate challenge from Balbuena, and it’s a good position for a shot, 30 yards out. | |
| 12.08am BST | |
| 00:08 | |
| 3 min: And Bradley crosses it straight out of play. Doh! | |
| Updated | |
| at 12.09am BST | |
| 12.08am BST | |
| 00:08 | |
| 2 min: Early foul from Jermaine Jones on Lozcano, and Paraguay can toss it in. And Lozcano was almost on to it! A moment of panic in the back before USA hack it clear. And now Wood is pulled back down the other end as USA break! Good chance from the set piece for the hosts. Lively start, this! | |
| 12.06am BST | |
| 00:06 | |
| And we're off! | |
| 1 min: USA in their mildly disgusting black (or is it extremely dark navy) away strip. Paraguay, who have advanced from the group stage in eight of the last nine tournaments, in classic red and white stripes. Like a much, much better Sunderland. | |
| 12.03am BST | |
| 00:03 | |
| All done. Now just the handshakes, and we’re away. | |
| 12.00am BST | |
| 00:00 | |
| The players are out on the pitch. Time for the anthems. | |
| Updated | |
| at 12.01am BST | |
| 11.57pm BST | |
| 23:57 | |
| Bryan Graham is at Lincoln Financial Field. He writes: “The stands appear alarmingly empty from the press box with roughly 10 minutes till kickoff, particularly in the near-empty middle tier. But with thousands more outside wrapping up all-day tailgates in the Lincoln Financial Field parking lots and nearby FDR Park, expect a late-arriving (and well-lubricated) crowd.” | |
| 11.55pm BST | |
| 23:55 | |
| Interestingly, the last time these two sides met in competitive football was in 2007, in the second group game at the Copa America in Venezuela. Édgar Barreto put Paraguay ahead in the 30th minute, and although Ricardo Clark equalized, Paraguay scored twice after the break through Oscar Rene Cardozo and Salvador Cabañas. They went through to the last eight, and USA went home with three losses from three. | |
| 11.53pm BST | |
| 23:53 | |
| We’re about 15 minutes away from kick-off. Predictions? I say 3-1 USA, but what do I know? | |
| 11.52pm BST | |
| 23:52 | |
| Jenny Taft on Fox says the mood in the USA camp is “light”. Brad Guzan says: “The hardest part of today is waiting for the game to start.” | |
| Temperatures in the 90s in Philly, but there’s some cooling wind now it’s getting later. The heat shouldn’t be a problem. | |
| 11.49pm BST | |
| 23:49 | |
| We know how USA will line up: 4-3-3, with Dempsey the focal point in attack. But what of Paraguay? We think they’ll go 4-4-2, with Sanabria and Lezcano up front, and Ayala and Ortiz starting wide. They need to win tonight, otherwise they’re toast. | |
| 11.41pm BST | |
| 23:41 | |
| A good omen: USA are unbeaten in three matches at Lincoln Financial Field. | |
| Updated | |
| at 11.51pm BST | |
| 11.39pm BST | 11.39pm BST |
| 23:39 | 23:39 |
| Here’s how Group A looks, as a reminder: Colombia have won two out of two, and are already through to the last eight. USA just need a point to join them, but Paraguay could go through if they win. Costa Rica aren’t technically out of it, but it would take a miracle for them to qualify: that 4-0 thumping on Tuesday spoiled everything for them. | Here’s how Group A looks, as a reminder: Colombia have won two out of two, and are already through to the last eight. USA just need a point to join them, but Paraguay could go through if they win. Costa Rica aren’t technically out of it, but it would take a miracle for them to qualify: that 4-0 thumping on Tuesday spoiled everything for them. |
| USA could go through as group winners, but they’d need Colombia to lose tonight, which is probably unlikely. The most credible scenario would see USA go through in second place, and play the Group B winners, which would likely be Brazil. And that would take place at 8pm ET at MetLife Stadium on Friday. | USA could go through as group winners, but they’d need Colombia to lose tonight, which is probably unlikely. The most credible scenario would see USA go through in second place, and play the Group B winners, which would likely be Brazil. And that would take place at 8pm ET at MetLife Stadium on Friday. |
| 11.33pm BST | 11.33pm BST |
| 23:33 | 23:33 |
| What a Saturday of international football it’s been. If you’ve missed it, here’s our rundown: | What a Saturday of international football it’s been. If you’ve missed it, here’s our rundown: |
| And it’s not over. USA-Paraguay should be competitive, plus there’s Colombia-Costa Rica coming up at 9.30pm ET from Houston. Colombia have been impressive so far: the best team in this competition, along with Argentina and Mexico. | And it’s not over. USA-Paraguay should be competitive, plus there’s Colombia-Costa Rica coming up at 9.30pm ET from Houston. Colombia have been impressive so far: the best team in this competition, along with Argentina and Mexico. |
| 11.27pm BST | 11.27pm BST |
| 23:27 | 23:27 |
| Tonight's teams | Tonight's teams |
| Klinsi’s team are unchanged for the third straight game. Paraguay make three changes: Balbuena for Bruno Valdez in defense, Ayala for the suspended Romero, and Sanabria for Benitez up front. | Klinsi’s team are unchanged for the third straight game. Paraguay make three changes: Balbuena for Bruno Valdez in defense, Ayala for the suspended Romero, and Sanabria for Benitez up front. |
| USA: Guzan, Yedlin, Cameron, Brooks, Johnson, Bedoya, Bradley, Jones, Zardes, Wood, Dempsey. | USA: Guzan, Yedlin, Cameron, Brooks, Johnson, Bedoya, Bradley, Jones, Zardes, Wood, Dempsey. |
| Paraguay: Villar, Da Silva, Gomez, Balbuena, Samudio, Ortiz, Ayala, Gonzalez, Almiron, Sanabria, Lezcano. | Paraguay: Villar, Da Silva, Gomez, Balbuena, Samudio, Ortiz, Ayala, Gonzalez, Almiron, Sanabria, Lezcano. |
| Referee: Julio Bascunan (Chile) | Referee: Julio Bascunan (Chile) |
| 11.27pm BST | 11.27pm BST |
| 23:27 | 23:27 |
| Hello and welcome | Hello and welcome |
| All USA need to do to reach the quarter-finals of the Copa America, and a probable tie with Brazil in New York on Friday, is not lose to Paraguay. Simple enough, but then again, you never know with Jürgen Klinsmann’s team. They were disappointing against Colombia, but much improved against Costa Rica … who knows what we’ll get today? Paraguay are doughty and defensive, but perhaps lack quality in attack, although they played well in the second half against Colombia, and Victor Ayala did score a brilliant goal from long range. They’re no minnows, and can make life awkward for the hosts. | All USA need to do to reach the quarter-finals of the Copa America, and a probable tie with Brazil in New York on Friday, is not lose to Paraguay. Simple enough, but then again, you never know with Jürgen Klinsmann’s team. They were disappointing against Colombia, but much improved against Costa Rica … who knows what we’ll get today? Paraguay are doughty and defensive, but perhaps lack quality in attack, although they played well in the second half against Colombia, and Victor Ayala did score a brilliant goal from long range. They’re no minnows, and can make life awkward for the hosts. |
| Kick off is just after 7pm ET from Lincoln Financial Field – and it’s steamy in Philadelphia. It’s on! | Kick off is just after 7pm ET from Lincoln Financial Field – and it’s steamy in Philadelphia. It’s on! |
| 9.56pm BST | 9.56pm BST |
| 21:56 | 21:56 |
| Tim will be here shortly. In the meantime, read why it’s a simple equation for Klinsmann and co: | Tim will be here shortly. In the meantime, read why it’s a simple equation for Klinsmann and co: |
| It’s been a typical tournament for the US men’s national team. Questions abound about Jürgen Klinsmann’s choices. The team has looked at times bereft of attacking ideas. And yet here we are, with one game to go in the group stage of the Copa América, and the math is as simple as it always seems to be: win (or draw), and they’re in. | It’s been a typical tournament for the US men’s national team. Questions abound about Jürgen Klinsmann’s choices. The team has looked at times bereft of attacking ideas. And yet here we are, with one game to go in the group stage of the Copa América, and the math is as simple as it always seems to be: win (or draw), and they’re in. |
| Standing in their way are Paraguay – according to Fifa and their rankings the weakest team in the group, for whatever that’s worth. It ought to be a straightforward affair for the US, and there are encouraging signs that they are settling into Klinsmann’s latest tactical preference following their 4-0 thrashing of Costa Rica on Monday. (Although it should be said that the US are neither quite as good as that result – they always beat Costa Rica at home – nor as bad as people said following their 2-0 loss to Colombia.) | Standing in their way are Paraguay – according to Fifa and their rankings the weakest team in the group, for whatever that’s worth. It ought to be a straightforward affair for the US, and there are encouraging signs that they are settling into Klinsmann’s latest tactical preference following their 4-0 thrashing of Costa Rica on Monday. (Although it should be said that the US are neither quite as good as that result – they always beat Costa Rica at home – nor as bad as people said following their 2-0 loss to Colombia.) |
| Despite having to rely for much of the first half on a combination of gritty and occasionally last-gasp defending with few pastures of relief against an opponent dominant in possession, to their credit the US kept Costa Rica’s industry from producing much; they surrendered few clear-cut chances and, as the game wore on, pressured the Ticos into turnovers in their own half. | Despite having to rely for much of the first half on a combination of gritty and occasionally last-gasp defending with few pastures of relief against an opponent dominant in possession, to their credit the US kept Costa Rica’s industry from producing much; they surrendered few clear-cut chances and, as the game wore on, pressured the Ticos into turnovers in their own half. |
| Related: For USA, the task is simple: don't lose to Paraguay | Related: For USA, the task is simple: don't lose to Paraguay |