Türkiye's World Cup campaign came to a painful end on Friday as they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Paraguay despite dominating large parts of their Group D clash.
An early strike from Matías Galarza, scored just 64 seconds into the match, proved decisive as Paraguay secured a vital victory and kept their qualification hopes alive.
For Türkiye, it was a frustrating repeat of familiar problems. They created chances, controlled possession and spent much of the game on the front foot, but once again failed to turn opportunities into goals.
The South Americans produced a determined defensive display after taking the lead through Galarza's long-range effort, the fastest goal of the tournament so far.
Paraguay's task became even more difficult in the second half when Miguel Almiron was sent off, leaving his side to play the remaining minutes with 10 men.
Yet Türkiye could not find a way through.
Backed by noisy support in the San Francisco Bay Area, Paraguay absorbed relentless pressure and defended with discipline to protect their narrow advantage until the final whistle.
Türkiye enjoyed overwhelming possession and finished with 32 attempts on goal. However, their finishing let them down at the worst possible moment.
Juventus forward Kenan Yıldız and Real Madrid youngster Arda Güler were among those unable to convert promising opportunities as frustration grew throughout the match.
The defeat mirrored Türkiye's opening loss to Australia, another game in which they created numerous chances but failed to make them count.
The result leaves Türkiye out of the tournament after two defeats from two matches.
Head coach Vincenzo Montella admitted the outcome was difficult to accept but praised his players for their commitment.
"I'm sad but I'm also very proud of my players. They gave everything right up until the final whistle. That's what football is like," he said.
For Paraguay, the victory revives hopes of reaching the knockout stages. For Türkiye, it marks an early and disappointing exit from a tournament that began with high expectations.
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