Sweden ... 1 Paraguay ... 0You know, by the end in Berlin last night the brave defiance of Paraguay had become the story of the game to such an extent that Sweden's late goal seemed to puncture the mood of the entire evening. We had grown accustomed to the beauty of their parries and sidesteps. We never expected blood.
For 88 minutes it was like being at the corrida on a warm afternoon. Paraguay made pass after pass under the cape, feeling the jabs of the picadors as they did so, but though they were bloodied and weak it looked as if they wouldn't be finished off, not even by the clinical Swedes.
And then Freddie Ljungberg struck, as randomly and as devastatingly as Jupiter flinging a bolt of lightning from his finger.
The Paraguayans were out of the World Cup having conceded an own goal in the first two minutes of their game with England and succumbed to Ljungberg's late header late in the game with Sweden. In between were 176 minutes of defiance.
In truth, we expected something a bit wilder than a single-goal squeaker. For the past few days word had it the Swedes had gone all Dutch before this game. There was fighting and sulking in the camp: mutual recriminations, discontent and of course official denials. Not very Swedish.
Their fans seemed unperturbed, enchanted even, by the thought of their bloodless heroes metamorphosing into blond divas. The chunky old Olympic stadium in Berlin was filled with Swedes for hours before last night's game. With the chanting and polite Mexican waving, they made a totally crazy, big football party.
And tucked away in one corner were a happy little band of Paraguayans. Supporters to the bit players of Group B. Last night was the night the Paraguayan's were supposed to get pumped full of holes. Sweden's impotence in front of goal was going to be ended in fine fashion.
"Once we start scoring" said Zoltan Ibrahimovic "this team won't be able to stop."
Scene set then. The Swedes all pumped and mad as hell. The Paraguayans trembling quietly. Sweden to score a hatful and take the battle to old England in the final group game. Put the smart money on it.
Some things just don't do what they say on the tin of course. When Aldo Bobadilla came on for Paraguay after six minutes against England last Saturday he had looked distinctly comical. Yet here he was hurling himself athletically after just seven minutes to turn away a wonderful strike by Kim Kallstrom. A couple of corners follow but nothing productive. Bobadilla would go on to be a hero of the evening, and when disaster finally struck he was blameless.
This paradox of being charming but unable to consummate is an ongoing Swedish problem. They had scored twice in their last six games before yesterday and failed to win a match since qualification.
Why this should be is a mystery. Their approach play is safe and clever as a Volvo. They have the components, They have Kallstrom, who can fire the cannon balls, and Henrik Larsson and Ibrahimovich, who can wield the scimitar. And they have Ljungberg, though at times you have to check to be sure.
For 20 minutes or so the Swedes hurled themselves at the Paraguayans with something like abandon.
The Paraguayans for their part came to this World Cup with a reputation for wiliness and always figuring out how to get out of the group stage. They seem to have handicapped themselves this time by being clueless in front of goal.
In their own half of the field they battled gamely but on the break they become ponderous and given to shooting from ridiculous distances. Roque Santa Cruz has been a serious disappointment, and though Nelson Cuevas looked exciting and unpredictable when he came on against England, he was left on the bench last night. Oh well.
As it unfolds it's not as if the Paraguayans can't see openings. Santa Cruz has a pop on the half hour and Nelson Valdez snaps a knocked-down ball at goal a minute later for instance, but attack just doesn't seem to be their thing. They get to half time relatively unscathed having sucked the pace from the match. Sweden's frustration is tangible.
Midway through the second half a terrible thought got its fangs into our brain. The Paraguayans always find a way into the second phase. That's their thing.
Consider this. A ball lobbed from midfield. Marcus Allback (on for Ibrahimovich, who has groin trouble) gets a toe to it and loops the ball over Bobadilla to the empty net - when Caniza materialises and makes an unbelievable clearance.
So perhaps this is it. We are watching the Paraguayans work their high-wire magic. Lose the first game to the strongest side. Draw the second.
Finally go and beat Trinidad and Tobago and if results are okay elsewhere nip under the wire. At this stage the goalrush Ibrahimovic is promising Sweden seems unlikely.
Once you see the grand plan it puts a different complexion on the game.
For the final 20 minutes we watched in wonder as the Paraguayans booted the ball away patiently, refusing to let their concentration be broken by the possibility of pushing up and scoring at the other end.
It all had a Hitchcockian tension as the plot unfolded. They lived dangerously.
One glorious chance with 11 minutes left saw Allback swivel in the six-yard box and hit a shot which had the crowd on its feet celebrating before the eyes registered that Bobadilla had dived and gotten down to it and caught it.
It's funny. The Paraguayans have an odd national anthem. You think it's all over and then it swells up again stronger than ever. It does this much to the delight of the Paraguayans, who sing the second half with a lusty verve.
And last night the game had a trick ending. They thought it was all over and then Tobias Linderoth lobbed a hopeful ball from midfield. Johan Elmander, just on for the tiring Kallstrom, headed the ball back across the Paraguayan goal, and Ljungberg, with textbook precision, headed the ball strongly downward, its bounce beating brave Bobadilla cruelly.
And the Swedes, who'd also thought it was all over, sang with lusty verve till the stadium shook. Another day, another World Cup story.
SUBSTITUTIONS
SWEDEN: Elmander for Kallstrom (86 mins), Jonson for Wilhelmsson (68 mins), Allback for Ibrahimovic (45 mins). Subs not used: Alvbage, Andersson, Hansson, Nilsson, Rosenberg, Shaaban, Stenman, Anders Svensson, Karl Svensson. Booked: Linderoth, Lucic, Allback.
PARAGUAY: Barreto for Bonet (81 mins), Dos Santos for Riveros (62 mins), Lopez for Santa Cruz (63 mins). Subs not used: Cabanas, Cuevas, Da Silva, Gavilan, Gomez, Manzur, Montiel, Toledo, Villar. Booked: Caniza, Acuna, Paredes, Barreto.
Referee: Lubos Michel (Slovakia).
