With a great free kick goal from Luciano Rodriguez, Uruguay defeated Paraguay (1-0) on Thursday at the South American U-20 Championship. The result forces Paraguay to fight for their lives in the last round of the tournament for a spot in the World Cup of the category.

At the 85th minute, when the match seemed destined for a bitter 0-0 draw, the Liverpool's forward from Uruguay unleashed a powerful long-range shot that beat Paraguayan goalkeeper Angel Gonzalez, at the Metropolitano de Techo Stadium in Bogota.

Rodriguez's fifth goal in the U-20 Championship was one of the best of the tournament being held in Colombia, and it puts 'La Celeste' -already qualified for the World Cup- in contention for the title, which will be decided in the final round on Sunday in a direct clash against Brazil.

The Uruguayan team closed the fourth round with a perfect score of 12 points, and Brazil will have the opportunity to match their tally when they face the host nation Colombia in the last match.

On the other hand, Paraguay sank to the bottom of the final hexagonal round with only one point, but they still have a chance to qualify for the 2023 Indonesia World Cup. On Sunday, they will face Ecuador (1), with the last available spot for the global tournament still up for grabs.

Venezuela (2) also has a chance and will face the host team on the same day.

In addition to Uruguay, Brazil, and Colombia, Venezuela already secured their tickets to Indonesia. With Paraguay's defeat, these three teams also secured their presence in the Pan American Games in Santiago, which will take place in October and November. AFP