The hosts of Copa America 2016 approached the final match in Group A with three points after two confrontations. In the final round, the Americans had to play with footballers from Paraguay.
The US footballers needed to win the final match. Three points would have guaranteed the Americans access to the playoff stage of the tournament, while a draw could leave only theoretical chances of continuing the struggle for the America's Cup. The Paraguayans, who earned only a point in the first round match, needed only a victory and a favorable outcome in the confrontation between Colombia and Costa Rica.
The match did not become spectacular for the fans. The Paraguayans had more possession of the ball during the meeting, more often attacked the opponent's goal (the South American team had a significant advantage in shots). However, the Paraguayans did not derive anything significant from the advantage. On the contrary, in the first half of the first half, the US footballers had several theoretical chances for a goal. Even before the expiration of half an hour of the game, two dangerous free throws were assigned near the penalty area of Paraguay. American footballers' punches lacked precision.
At the 27th minute, the score in the meeting was still open. Gaisy Zardes (USA) made a pass to the Paraguayan penalty area, which cut through all the defensive redoubts of the South American defense. Clint Dempsey was accurate from the penalty area. The national team of the tournament hosts took the lead 1: 0. The first half ended with this score.
In the second segment of the match, the Paraguayans made attempts to eliminate the backlog. At the 48th minute, the Americans were outnumbered. Deandre Yedlin was sent off for the second yellow card. The one-player advantage did not help the South Americans level the score. A few minutes before the end of the match, the Paraguayans scored, but the goal was canceled due to an offside position.
Until the final whistle, the score did not change. The Americans won a difficult labor victory, which allowed the hosts to take first place in Group A with six points. The Paraguayan national team leaves the tournament.
