Sweden: Isaksson, Alexandersson, Mellberg, Lucic, Edman, Wilhelmsson (Jonson 67), Linderoth, Kallstrom (Elmander 86), Ljungberg, Ibrahimovic (Allback 45), Larsson.

Paraguay: Bobadilla, Caniza, Gamarra, Caceres, Nunez, Bonet (Barreto 80), Acuna, Paredes, Riveros (Dos Santos 62), Valdez, Santa Cruz (Lopez 63).

After England's victory this game was critical to the chances of both these teams and the game started at a high tempo with the prospect of a good game in store. After Sweden's early pressure came to nought, however, it deteriorated into a tedious, uninspired mess.

Backed by massed ranks of supporters the Swedes looked determined to erase the bad memory of their meeting with Trinidad as they set about Paraguay from the off.

Caniza was shown an early yellow card after a crude hack at Ljungberg which demonstrated his teams' early struggles. Just as against England the fast early pace was causing them problems.

Bobadilla decided to try and claim a free kick beyond his far post and got nowhere near it but was rescued by Nunez before another spate of set pieces kept the pressure right on the South Americans. This ended with Kallstrom smashing a shot into the wall from a good position 22 yards out and dead centre.

Kallstrom was more effective with a shot from open play when Ibrahimovic chested the ball into his path but Bobadilla saved at full stretch. The corner lobbed just wide off a Paraguayan defender and the pressure looked certain to tell.

Ljungberg then dashed past Caniza's desperate lunge down the left but when he slipped the ball inside to Ibrahimovic the lanky striker wanted an extra touch instead of releasing the unmarked Larsson first time and Nunez got back to clear his delayed pass.

Paraguay now finally managed a spell of possession and Caniza got forward to send in a cross for Valdez. Under challenge he could not get a clean header away, however.

Ljungberg slipped a sweet low pass into the box which completely bisected the Paraguay defence and left Wilhelmsson clear in the box. The winger proceded to stand on the ball to allow Bobadilla an easy gather.

The vaunted Santa Cruz was labouring again and made a hash of an ambitious shot from 30 yards but did manage a good header down for his partner Valdez. This finish was also badly botched.

There was less cohesion about Sweden as the half hour mark was passed and although Paraguay were gaining more possession their build ups were generally at walking pace.

Larsson had a fleeting chance when Ibrahimovic headed on but he could only head at the keeper from penalty spot range.

For Paraguay Nunez ambled forward to the angle of the area before suddenly launching a swerving drive across the face of goal. A touch would have done for Paraguay but there was no-one in position to supply it.

The half ended with another chance out of nothing, Ibrahimovic suddenly finding himself clear inside the box. As is his wont he tried an elaborate finish and got it completely wrong, sending a tame back pass of an effort straight to Bobadilla.

Half Time: Sweden 0 Paraguay 0

It was the last we would see of Ibrahimovic. We can assume he was injured but he had not impressed. His replacement, Allback, would be worse.

Paraguay started the second half looking slightly more urgent and Riveros sent a good early ball through for Valdez who checked back onto his right foot before driving low into the side netting with Isaksson struggling.

A superb ball by Acuna, who was becoming more prominent, allowed Valdez another shooting chance but this time he was way off the mark.

Larsson was presented with an opportunity from a free kick on the edge of the area but Bobadilla was able to parry to safety as the shot flew to his side of the goal.

At the other end Acuna hit a woeful right footed shot from distance but when the ball was immediately knocked back to him he caught one on his left side nicely but the effort was straight at the keeper.

Around the hour mark there was a spurt of action involving Allback. A dodgy offside flag stopped him in his tracks as he burst clear but moments later the flag stayed down in a similar situation.

Allback was through on the keeper and looked a certain scorer. With Bobadilla advancing the "striker" looked to shoot (I think) but only managed to spoon the ball over the keeper's head. Now he looked an even more certain scorer but was so slow in moving to the ball that Caniza managed to make up about ten yards on him to clear dramatically from under the bar.

Paraguay now proceded to make two substitutions, withdrawing Santa Cruz in the process. He too had been extremely disappointing but his replacement, Lopez, turned out to be embarrassing and there was no hint of Paraguay engineering a chance from here on in.

There were long range efforts. Valdez hit one sweetly but straight at Isaksson while Nunez had a go from all of 45 yards. The keeper looked in a panic but the ball was always clearing the bar. Later on Barreto, having just come on as a sub, would force Isaksson to tip over from 35 yards but the South Americans looked increasingly happy to take the point which now looked inevitably theirs.

Larsson presented Allback with a chance when he headed back across goal but from inside the six yard box the cumbersome "striker" could get no power as he attempted to flick the ball home and Bobadilla gathered.

The keeper then showed good handling in gathering a drive from Alexandersson which was travelling awkwardly.

With the clock ticking down Elmander, who had injected some life into the Swedes as a late sub, charged down the right and centred to the far post. Larsson was again there to head back across goal and this time Ljungberg arrived right on cue to steer a header back across goal and inside the far post.

There was no way back for Paraguay and Ljungberg almost added a second after the defence got itself into a terrible muddle but Bobadilla saved well at full stretch.

The board went up for three minutes added time but Paraguay could not get the ball out of their own half and find themselves out of the competition after just two games.

Not only are Sweden now well placed to progress they could still win the group with a victory over England.

Full Time: Sweden 1 Paraguay 0

Sweden: Isaksson 5, Alexandersson 5, Mellberg 6, Lucic 4, Edman 4, Wilhelmsson 4 (Jonson 2), Linderoth 4, Kallstrom 6 (Elmander 6), Ljungberg 7, Ibrahimovic 4 (Allback 3), Larsson 5.

Paraguay: Bobadilla 7, Caniza 7, Gamarra 6, Caceres 5, Nunez 6, Bonet 5 (Barreto 4), Acuna 7, Paredes 2, Riveros 5 (Dos Santos 3), Valdez 7, Santa Cruz 3 (Lopez 0).

Referee: L.Michel (Slovakia) 9
I toyed with giving him a ten but he has to have something left in the game to strive for. A superb display and his assistants were generally excellent too.
I thought he could have started booking some players for just being crap but that would have perhaps been harsh, and controversial.

Good:
Not much, really. This games drifted below mediocrity. Acuna was the games' only constructive passer but even he was playing at a snails' pace most of the time. The ref, however, had a blinder.

Bad:
The two supposed star turns looked like they could be Peter Crouch if they were just an inch or two taller. Some of the guys who came on as substitutes had surely been plucked from the crowd. Lopez especially was absolute cack.

Ugly:
Definitely not the female Sweden fans.