BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa (AP) — Enrique Vera and Cristian Riveros scored and Paraguay beat Slovakia 2-0 on Sunday to move closer to advancing at the World Cup.
Playing with a three-man front line spearheaded by Roque Santa Cruz, Paraguay controlled the tempo from the start at Free State Stadium.
Vera broke through for La Albirroja in the 27th when forward Lucas Barrios slipped a pass into the box and Vera angled it past Slovakia goalkeeper Jan Mucha with a one-time shot.
Riveros added a goal in the 86th minute, a left-footed blast from the edge of the penalty area.
The win puts Paraguay atop Group F with four points after two matches. Slovakia has one point. Defending champion Italy and New Zealand also are in the group, and play later Sunday.
