Blink and you would have missed it. Paraguay’s goal just two minutes into its match against Türkiye at Santa Clara’s Levi’s Stadium on June 19 was the one and only marker in the bout between the Group D teams, but it was enough to punch the underdog’s ticket into the next round of the World Cup.

The spirited game between Paraguay and Türkiye was filled with fouls, two yellow cards and a red card that forced Paraguay to play down a player for the entire second half. But despite playing with just 10 players, the Paraguayans held on for a 1-0 win.

After the game, goal scorer Matias Galarza told the media that Paraguay showed the Guarani spirit* and that he hoped his people back home were celebrating. “… espero que todo el pueblo Paraguayo esté festejando, esté vibrando y que Paraguay siempre estuvo vivo,” said Galarza.

In the parking lot, fans were definitely buzzing.

“We are so happy and proud of the team. We suffer for the longest time, but we’re very happy,” said Rosana Romero, who was born and raised in Paraguay.

Rosana, who now lives in Las Vegas, drove nine hours to attend the game. Her sister, Rosaura Romera, flew in from Paraguay to watch the game with her. In the end, they walked away with huge smiles.

“We came hoping [for] the best, and we’re taking the best. I think the team deserves all the credit, playing only with 10 guys for the longest time,” said Rosana. “I’m pretty sure they suffer too, but they show that they’re really capable of being part of this team, and we’re so happy.”

Paraguay will play its third game of the group play at Levi’s Stadium on Thursday, June 25 at 7 p.m. PT. The team will face Australia.

*The Guarani are the indigenous people of Paraguay who lived on the land before the arrival of the Spanish and Portuguese explorers.

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