KAISERSLAUTEN, June 20 (Xinhua) -- Paraguay beat
Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 in their last World Cup Group B game here on Tuesday as
both sides ended their journey in FIFA's quadrennial event.
Paraguay, who lost to Sweden and England by identical
scores of 1-0, collected three points and finished third in the group.
Trinidad and Tobago, who also lost to England 2-0 and
drew Sweden 0-0, finished fourth with one point and was fourth in the group.
England and Sweden, who drew with each other 2-2 in
the day's another game, qualified for the knockout stage as first and second
placers.
Trinidad and Tobago, the smallest nation among the 32
participating countries and regions, should have got through to the next stage
if they snatch a victory and Sweden lost to England at the same time. But an own
goal in the 25th minute dashed their hopes.
Nelson Valdez got a head on a Robreto Acuna free kick
and Trinidad and Tobago defender Brent Sancho directed the ball into their own
goal.
Second half substitute Nelson Cuevas sealed the win
for Paraguay in the 86th minute, which was a little harsh on the Trinidadians,
who have been excellent in the half.
Leo Beenhakker said after the match: "It was an open
match. There were some possibilities for us to win, especially in the second
half.
"It was a great experience for the players to be in
this tournament. The experiences and confidence they built here will be very
good for them in the future. They have shown that they can go with the best."
The Dutchman said that they are disappointed leaving
the World Cup but he is proud of the players' performance.
"The players all worked very hard and they had a lot
of passion. I cannot ask them more. I cannot blame the players. Everybody was
involved in the tournament and we can be proud of that. We can leave the
tournament with pride."
Paraguay head coach Anibal Ruiz said: "We finally
scored one win from the World Cup. This is a new-generation team for Paraguay
and they will have a great future to build upon the success of the match."
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