Columbia vs Paraguay

Paraguay snapped a long losing streak against Colombia, grinding out a narrow win in New Jersey for their first friendly victory over Los Cafeteros since 1999. The game opened with a scare when goalkeeper Aldair Quintana took a heavy collision early on but played through it, setting the tone for a tense, physical night. The only goal came in the 56th minute, when Hugo Benitez pounced on a loose ball after a defensive mistake from Jhon Lucumi, slotting home the rebound. Julio Enciso had earlier wasted a glorious chance in the 27th minute, firing over from close range, while Orlando Gill made a sharp save to deny Luis Suarez. Five yellow cards were shown, including to Yaser Asprilla and Andres Cubas, as tempers frayed late on. For Paraguay, it confirmed the defensive solidity shown at the World Cup under Gustavo Alfaro. For Colombia, the narrow loss highlights continued work needed under Nestor Lorenzo as qualifying approaches.