By Ian Ransom
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, June 19 (Reuters) - Turkey arrived at their first World Cup in 24 years with great expectations and a host of rising stars but crashed out goalless and in tears after another shocking failure to convert against Paraguay.
Despite facing 10 men for more than a half, Turkey slumped to a 1-0 defeat against the spirited South Americans after racking up 32 goal attempts to be eliminated with a match to spare.
It came after they amassed 30 fruitless attempts in a 2-0
opening defeat by Australia, a match in which they were similarly thwarted by poor finishing and a staunch opposition defence.
The 62 shots combined were the most without a goal in any two-match span in the World Cup on record in data collected since 1966.
That wastefulness was only amplified by Paraguay's incredible efficiency as Matias Galarza struck the tournament's fastest goal with a stunning, 25-metre strike just over a minute into the match.
Turkish fans will wonder what might have been had Mert Muldur's 35th minute header from a free kick gone in off the crossbar rather than rebounding against the post.
That was as close as Turkey came despite players queuing up for a ping at goal right up to the finish, with Baris Yilmaz, Can Uzun and Merih Demiral all failing to put away good chances.
Arda Guler, the 21-year-old pinup boy of Turkish soccer, apologised to the nation.
"We tried very hard but it didn't work. But we should have scored some goals," he said.
"We should have won these games ... Everybody's sad, everybody's crying."
It was a stunning fall for a team that made a swashbuckling run to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals. A golden generation of players anchored by the young talents of Guler and Kenan Yildiz had appeared set to make their mark on the global stage.
Instead, Turkey's players and staff will face a fierce reaction on the home front before their final group game against the U.S., who have already qualified for the round of 32.
CREDIT TO THE PLAYERS
For Paraguay, it was a win for the true believers following their dreadful display against the United States.
Coach Gustavo Alfaro backed his no-frills squad to turn it around but his decision to bring in Galarza, who was unused against the U.S., proved a masterstroke.
After the midfielder's goal it was grit, determination and a generous dollop of luck that kept their tournament alive.
Not even a red card in first-half stoppage time could deny the South Americans, though their task was made harder by Miguel Almiron's dismissal for remarks made to Muldur with his hand covering his mouth.
Alfaro said his players had shown their mettle.
"It's nothing about tactics or strategy here. This victory, this result is to the credit of the players," he said.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
