Paraguay exit with pride

Despite the negative result of Tuesday night's game, Trinidad coach Leo Beenhakker can at least be happy he got his tactics right.

His 3-5-2 with Dwight Yorke just behind the front two caused a lot of problems to a South American midfield that took a good twenty minutes to get into the game.

Yorke's freedom on the pitch meant he could orchestrate his team's attacks just as he liked, and Trinidad were dangerous on several occasions in the opening moments of the game.

Their best chances came from set pieces, with Yorke delivering good balls in the danger zones and Glen coming close with a powerful header. Another good cross from the Trinidad captain saw Whitley hit the ball first time. Bobadilla seemed beaten but the ball went just over the bar.

Paraguay were under pressure but soon enough, Carlos Paredes decided to up his work rate and began to run all over the place, winning fifty-fifties and playing the ball on the floor.

Trinidad were unlucky to go a goal down, as Roberto Acuna's free kick found man of the match Julio Dos Santos' header inside the box. The ball seemed to be going wide but hit Brent Sancho's head on the way and Paraguay were in the lead.

The South Amercians could have got a second just before half-time, but Paredes' short range volley was cleared off the line by Densill Theobald.

The second half started just like the first one, with Trinidad putting immediate pressure on Paraguay and trying to keep them inside their half most of the time.

Yorke was inches away from getting on the end of a Carlos Edwards low cross while Stern John was flagged offside as he was clear on goal.

But, just as in the first half, ten minutes of Caribbean domination were enough to awake the Paraguayans from their lethargic attitude.

Roque Santa Cruz dropped a little deeper to have a little more influence on the game and it almost paid off, as he laid up Nelson Valdez for a shot which keeper Kelvin Jack did brilliantly to save, as he was impeccable all game.

Edwards and Mark Birchall were running their socks off in the middle of the park, the latter trying his luck from 25 yards and failing to find the target.

All of Trinidad's efforts weren't rewarded as they should've been, as substitute Nelson Cuevas combined well with Santa Cruz to put a second past Jack, putting the game beyond doubt.

Coach Leo Beenhakker can nevertheless be proud of his men, who were heroic in all three games.

"Of course we are disappointed we lost the game and that we are leaving this tournament," the Dutchman told reporters. "It was an open game and we had lots of chances. We take a lot of things out of this tournament, the main thing is we will have more confidence in the future" he added.