Paraguay's Under-15 national team was eliminated in the semi-finals of the World Cup after a 2-0 loss to the Czech Republic in Baku, Azerbaijan. The result ended the unbeaten run of Wilfrido Bazán's side and dashed their hopes of reaching the tournament final.

The match was played at the Hovsan Competition Complex under the event's experimental rules, featuring 20-minute halves and eight players per side. La Albirroja could not find a way through and their opponents proved more clinical to secure a place in the final. The defeat follows a remarkable campaign where the national team had overcome Ghana in the quarter-finals via a dramatic 7-6 penalty shootout, after a 2-2 draw in regulation time with goals from Ronald González and Fernando Jaquet.

The national team's official social media account, @Albirroja, had celebrated reaching the semi-final stage with an emphatic: "¡FINAL!". Later, before the decisive clash, it posted another message of support: "¡VAMOS POR LA FINAL, PARAGUAY! 💪🏻".

An impressive streak halted

Until the semi-final, the Paraguayan team had recorded a near-perfect performance. In seven previous matches they had six wins and one draw, scoring 25 goals and conceding only six. In the group stage they beat Seychelles (4-1), Tahiti (8-0), Gibraltar (3-1) and Bolivia (3-2). Then, in the knockout rounds, they defeated Cyprus (4-0) in the round of 32 and Morocco (1-0) in the round of 16. The elimination by the Czechs thwarted the chance to match or surpass the historic fourth place achieved by the Under-20 side at the 2001 World Cup.

The context for Paraguay's senior football is positive, with the full national team stringing together two consecutive wins in World Cup Qualifying. Their latest result was a 1-0 victory over Colombia on October 3rd, with a goal from H. A. Benítez. Before that, on September 27th, they beat Bolivia 2-0 with a brace from Miguel Almirón. The senior Albirroja's next fixture is an away trip to Singapore on November 13th.

The Czech Republic, their semi-final opponent, had reached that stage after also eliminating Brazil on penalties. The third-place match and the final of the Under-15 tournament will be played this Thursday. For Paraguay, focus now returns to the senior squads aiming to maintain their positive momentum in World Cup qualifying.

Background and full detail: VS Sports