The Paraguayan National Team Eliminated by the Netherlands in the U-17 World Cup

The Paraguayan National Team felt the wear and tear from their match against Argentina, the lack of rest, and was eliminated this Sunday by the Netherlands with a score of 4-1 in the quarterfinals of the U-17 World Cup held in Brazil.

The Europeans were superior from start to finish. Diego Duarte scored the only goal for the Paraguayan team, reaching a total of 13 goals and getting closer to the historical record of 14 goals set by Julio Cesar Romero in the youth divisions. Romero has held that record since 1979.

THE MATCH. The European team took the initiative at the Kléber Andrade Stadium in Vitória, but the clearest chance in the first quarter came for the Paraguayan team, when Diego Duarte missed hitting the post after a cross from the right by Diego Torres.

Nevertheless, the Netherlands continued with their game. They pressed high and won all the second balls. With this strategy, they consistently approached Ángel González's goal with shots from Kenneth Taylor, Jayden Braaf, and Sontje Hansen.

The resistance of the Paraguayan team was broken at the end of the second quarter when Ki-Jana Hoever scored for the Netherlands with a powerful shot from inside the Paraguayan area. The goal hurt the morale of the Paraguayan team, which was on the verge of being knocked out.

Sontje Hansen scored the second goal at the 35th minute, but it was disallowed by VAR due to an offside position. The team managed by Morínigo didn't react in the game, allowing Hansen to increase the lead with a brilliant finish (40 m).

Holland kept attacking, but missed the opportunity to score the third goal with the goal practically empty. This mistake and another defensive error gave hope to the Paraguayan team. Diego Duarte took advantage of an unexpected mistake by the European representative and reduced the distance just before halftime (45 m).

In the second half, the match was played at a high pace. The Netherlands, as in the first half, showed their superiority and had the Paraguayan team against the ropes. The lack of greater efficiency and another goal disallowed by VAR for Jayden Braaf, at the 64th minute, kept Paraguay in the game.

Morínigo's team suffered the continuous attacks from the Netherlands, especially because the need for an equalizer forced them to have more players in the opponent's zone. The Paraguayan team also caused concern with a header from Diego Torres that hit the crossbar (73 m) and a well-directed shot from Matías Segovia (75 m).

During the best moment of the Paraguayan team, Jayden Braaf scored the third goal, sealing the victory (77 m). Four minutes before the end, Naci Ünüvar scored the final goal, confirming the European team's superiority.