Matías Galarza scored 65 seconds after kickoff and Paraguay beat Turkey 1-0 on Friday, turning a matchup that had barely started into a result that ended Turkey's chance to reach the knockout round. Gustavo Alfaro had named Galarza in the starting lineup, and the decision paid off immediately when the Atlanta United midfielder drove a left-footed shot from outside the area past the defense and into the match's first decisive moment.
The goal mattered because Turkey had already made a habit of controlling the ball without control of the score. In Santa Clara, California, EE.UU., it dominated possession for a second straight match and still lost, just as it had in its previous outing. That made the opening minute more than a fast start for Paraguay; it became the margin that Turkey never found a way around.
Paraguay also had to manage the game without Miguel Almirón for the entire second half after he was expelled near the end of the first half. The dismissal came under a new rule that prohibits players from covering their mouths during a confrontation, a detail that sharpened the night from a tactical battle into a disciplinary one. Even with 10 men, Paraguay kept its lead, and Orlando Gill made several saves to protect it.
Turkey pressed repeatedly and came closest through Mert Müldür, whose first-half header struck both the crossbar and the post. Merih Demiral had an early second-half shot deflected by Gill, Abdulkerim Bardakci tested him from distance, Can Uzun was denied in a one-on-one late in the match and Deniz Gül sent the rebound wide. Demiral then headed just wide in the closing moments, a final reminder that possession and pressure meant little without a finish.
The result also fit a larger shift in Group D. Paraguay had come in after a 4-1 defeat to Estados Unidos, while Turkey arrived off a 2-0 loss to Australia, and the win helped settle the group even before Paraguay's final match. Estados Unidos secured first place as a consequence, and Paraguay will now face Australia on Thursday with the result in hand and its own position already clarified.
For Turkey, the loss was more than a bad night. It was the second straight defeat, and it closed the door on a team that was once again trying to make a World Cup mark after 24 years away from the tournament and a third-place finish in 2022. For Galarza, though, the night was simpler: a starting role, a first-minute strike and the kind of goal that changes everything before the game has found its shape.
