Richard Ortiz stepped up to snatch Paraguay an injury-time draw with Uruguay in a 2014 World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.
The Paraguayan national team snatched a last-gasp 1-1 draw with Uruguay in a match corresponding to the second round of the South American World Cup qualifiers, looking ahead to Brazil 2014.
Olimpia striker Richard Ortiz, who was making his international debut, stepped up in the 92nd minute to level the game, after Diego Forlan had put Uruguay ahead in the 68th minute.
Uruguay, who thrashed Paraguay 3-0 in the final of the Copa America in July, dominated the first half, and looked dangerous each time they pushed forward, especially through Liverpool striker Luis Suarez, who was a constant menace to the Paraguayan defense.
Francisco Arce, the coach of Paraguay, made five changes to the side that lost 2-0 to Peru in Lima on Friday, however, they continued to lack creativity in their game, as their midfielders were very quiet and hardly provided any adequate service for strikers Oscar Cardozo and Nelson Haedo Valdez.
The first half was a complicated battle in the midfield, where Uruguay proved the better of the two sides, due to the conviction in their game and the accuracy of their passing.
After the break they continued to create the better goal-scoring opportunities, and in the 67th minute they were rewarded for their approach, when Suarez got the better of the Paraguay defense down the right wing as he dazzled into the area with relative ease, before slotting a perfect ball to Forlan, who poked the ball into an unguarded net to put the visitors ahead.
The goal completely opened the match up, and while a desperate Paraguay moved forward in numbers, as they searched for a goal, it was Uruguay who came closer to adding to their advantage, particularly through Edinson Cavani, who missed a couple of clear chances to wrap the match up.
Uruguay were made to rue their missed opportunities, when in second half injury-time, Ortiz beat goalkeeper Fernando Muslera when he slid the ball home from close-distance after the Uruguay defense failed to clear the last corner-kick of the match.
Although Uruguay had everything to claim the victory, they should still be content with the fact that it was the first time that they picked up anything less than a defeat from the Paraguayan capital, in a World Cup qualifying match.
Olimpia striker Richard Ortiz, who was making his international debut, stepped up in the 92nd minute to level the game, after Diego Forlan had put Uruguay ahead in the 68th minute.
Uruguay, who thrashed Paraguay 3-0 in the final of the Copa America in July, dominated the first half, and looked dangerous each time they pushed forward, especially through Liverpool striker Luis Suarez, who was a constant menace to the Paraguayan defense.
Francisco Arce, the coach of Paraguay, made five changes to the side that lost 2-0 to Peru in Lima on Friday, however, they continued to lack creativity in their game, as their midfielders were very quiet and hardly provided any adequate service for strikers Oscar Cardozo and Nelson Haedo Valdez.
The first half was a complicated battle in the midfield, where Uruguay proved the better of the two sides, due to the conviction in their game and the accuracy of their passing.
After the break they continued to create the better goal-scoring opportunities, and in the 67th minute they were rewarded for their approach, when Suarez got the better of the Paraguay defense down the right wing as he dazzled into the area with relative ease, before slotting a perfect ball to Forlan, who poked the ball into an unguarded net to put the visitors ahead.
The goal completely opened the match up, and while a desperate Paraguay moved forward in numbers, as they searched for a goal, it was Uruguay who came closer to adding to their advantage, particularly through Edinson Cavani, who missed a couple of clear chances to wrap the match up.
Uruguay were made to rue their missed opportunities, when in second half injury-time, Ortiz beat goalkeeper Fernando Muslera when he slid the ball home from close-distance after the Uruguay defense failed to clear the last corner-kick of the match.
Although Uruguay had everything to claim the victory, they should still be content with the fact that it was the first time that they picked up anything less than a defeat from the Paraguayan capital, in a World Cup qualifying match.
