Paraguay penalty edges out North Korea

Paraguay beat North Korea in a World Cup warm-up here on Saturday, hitting the post twice before a late penalty sealed a 1-0 win.

Manchester City’s Roque Santa Cruz scored from the spot in the 85th minute after a handball by a North Korean defender.

Lacking physical bulk and their J-League playmakers, the North Koreans rarely troubled Paraguayan goalkeeper Diego Barreto despite the darting efforts of home bred North Korean striker Mun In-Guk and Russian league player Hong Yong-Jo.

Paraguayan coach Gerardo Martino admitted afterwards that his side had tailed off in the first half against the organised Korean defence, despite a clear athletic advantage in one-on-one challenges.

“That’s the characteristic of the North Korean team,” he said. “They defend well, can create difficult situations near goal, and are very quick on the break.”

“In the first half we weren’t very productive except for the first ten minutes,” Martino added.

But Paraguay picked up the pace in the second half, as Santa Cruz pressured the North Koreans into errors.

Long range shots from Marcelo Estigarribia and Eduardo Ledesma hit the woodwork before the penalty finally gave Paraguay the scoreline to reflect their efforts.

Paraguay are in Group F at the World Cup, which starts on June 11, with champions Italy, New Zealand and Slovakia.

North Korea are in Group G with Brazil, Portugal and Ivory Coast.