BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa: Enrique Vera and Cristian Riveros scored a goal each Sunday to give Paraguay a 2-0 win over Slovakia in Group F of the World Cup. Paraguay took the lead in the 27th minute when forward Lucas Barrios slipped a pass into the box that Vera angled past Slovakia goalkeeper Jan Mucha with a first-time shot. Riveros doubled the lead in the 86th with a left-footed drive from 12 meters (yards). "It was lucky that I could score," said Vera, who was named man of the match. "The first goal came at the best moment in the first half and then we wanted to keep possession of the ball and the second goal made us calm." The win puts Paraguay at the top of the group with four points from two matches. Slovakia has one point. "We played a good match and we are getting closer to the round of 16," Vera said. "Our intention now is to be first in the group." Playing with a three-man front line spearheaded by recalled striker Roque Santa Cruz, Paraguay controlled possession and the flow of play from the start at Free State Stadium and created a handful of early chances. Slovakia, which is playing in its first major tournament since the former Czechoslovakia divided in 1993, looked outclassed and unsure of itself in the face of a physical Paraguayan side that beat both Argentina and Brazil in World Cup qualifying. After Paraguay drew 1-1 with defending champion Italy in their World Cup opener, Martino opted to switch from a 4-4-2 formation to an attacking 4-3-3 against Slovakia, with Santa Cruz, Nelson Valdez and Barrios up front. The trio of big, strong strikers proved a handful for the Slovakia defense, outjumping, out muscling and outrunning the Slovaks. "It was very difficult because Santa Cruz and Barrios and Valdez are very strong players, good in the air and good with the ball," Slovakia defender Martin Skrtel said. "They played better than us today and they won — they were the better team." Santa Cruz made his presence felt almost immediately, collecting a ball at the top of the box in the third minute and hitting a right-footed shot that forced a diving save from Mucha. He also went close in the 39th, when he broke free for a low right-footed drive that Mucha kicked wide, and set up Vera with a cross in the 72nd that the midfielder headed just wide of the left post. "If we keep performing as well as we expect, and keep working hard, anything is possible," Santa Cruz said. "Paraguay's never been in the World Cup quarterfinals, so that's the goal we set for ourselves. And once we get there, of course we want to keep doing better."
