Trinidad go out of World cup after losing to Paraguay

Paraguay beat Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 Tuesday in Group B of the World Cup. Neither team advanced to the second round.

Trinidad came into its final first-round match needing a win against already eliminated Paraguay and for England to beat Sweden.

Neither happened, as England drew 2-2 with Sweden to finish top of the group.

Trinidad defender Brent Sancho headed past his own goalkeeper in the 25th minute and the Soca Warriors never recovered. Nelson Cuevas added a second goal in the 86th.

After starting its first World Cup appearance with a surprising 0-0 draw against Sweden, Trinidad and Tobago finished last in the group with only one point. Paraguay had three.

The biggest problem was the Soca Warriors' inability to score.

The only time a Trinidad player put the ball into the net in three matches it went into the wrong goal.

Paraguay finished third in the group to England and second-place Sweden. It lost its opener 1-0 to England on an early own-goal by captain Carlos Gamarra. The South Americans then lost 1-0 in the closing minutes to Sweden and were only playing for pride in the final match.

Trinidad did its best to generate offense, playing the final 59 minutes with three strikers and giving creative midfielder Russell Latapy his first chance to play this tournament in the second half.

Latapy created a spark, setting up Dwight Yorke with a good chance outside the penalty box and narrowly missing his shot from nearly the same spot. But Trinidad had only one shot on goal until Latapy's long attempt was easily saved by Aldo Bobadilla in the 79th.

Trinidad's desperation showed itself right after the first goal as coach Leo Beenhakker brought in a third striker in the 31st minute, substituting Kenwyne Jones for defender Avery John.

Beenhakker had to make a second substitution later in the half when forward Cornell Glen appeared to injure his left knee after a clean tackle by Gamarra. He brought in another forward, Evans Wise.

Paraguay put Trinidad on its heels after the goal and nearly added to its lead in the 36th minute but an apparent score by Denis Caniza was waved off by a late offsides flag. In injury time, Trinidad goalkeeper Kelvin Jack made a good save on a header by Nelson Valdez and Densill Theobald cleared a shot by Carlos Paredes off the goal line.

Both goalkeepers were tested early in a matchup of two of the six teams who failed to score in the first two games. Jack made a diving stop in the second minute on a header from Roque Santa Cruz, and Bobadilla answered with his own diving stop on Glen's header about three minutes later.

Jack, who missed the first two games with an injured calf, got the start in place of Shaka Hislop, who played well the first two games.

--- Lineups: Paraguay: Aldo Bobadilla, Jorge Nunez, Carlos Gamarra, Julio Cesar Caceres (Julio Manzur, 77th), Edgar Barreto, Roberto Acuna, Carlos Paredes, Julio Dos Santos, Denis Caniza, Roque Santa Cruz, Nelson Valdez (Nelson Cuevas, 66th).

Trinidad and Tobago: Kelvin Jack, Avery John (Kenwyne Jones, 31st), Brent Sancho, Dennis Lawrence, Chris Birchall, Aurtis Whitley (Russell Latapy, 67th), Carlos Edwards, Cornell Glen (Evans Wise, 41st), Stern John, Densill Theobald, Dwight Yorke.