A cagey affair in San Francisco
Both sides arrived with three points already on the board after beating Turkey, which made a draw a satisfactory outcome for everyone involved. The first half was a cautious, low-risk affair, with very few clear-cut chances created by either team.
Australia in control, Paraguay holding firm
After the break, Paraguay enjoyed more possession but still struggled to threaten the Australian goal. The Socceroos had the best chance of the match in the 90th minute when Jordan Bos fired from the right side of the box, but his effort went wide. Roles reversed in stoppage time, as Australia goalkeeper Patrick Beach had to be alert to deny a tricky low effort from substitute Mauricio. Australia coach Tony Popovic made six changes from the previous match, handing 18-year-old Lucas Herrington his World Cup debut.
A draw that worked out for (almost) everyone
It was the first match of the tournament in which the combined expected goals (xG) for both teams stayed below 1.0 — Paraguay managed just 0.25 xG, with Australia at 0.58. For Australia, the draw secured second place in Group D thanks to a superior goal difference, setting up a round of 32 match on July 3 in Arlington. Paraguay finished fourth among the third-placed teams and are well placed to advance alongside seven other third-place finishers.