'Everybody's crying': Goalless Turkey crash out of World Cup in shock exit

[p]Despite facing 10 men for ‌more than a half, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/turkey/QeijuHo5/"]Turkey[/a] slumped to a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/paraguay-YaNlqp6j/turkey-7s-QeijuHo5/?mid=KnyuOLXH"]1-0 defeat[/a] against the spirited South Americans after racking ‌up 32 goal attempts to be eliminated with a match to spare.[/p][p]It ‌came after they amassed 30 fruitless attempts in a 2-0 opening defeat by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/australia/xSrf6qMM/"]Australia[/a], a ‌match in which they were similarly thwarted by poor finishing and a ‌staunch opposition defence.[/p][p][b]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.[/b][/p][p]That wastefulness was only amplified ‌by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/paraguay/YaNlqp6j/"]Paraguay[/a]'s incredible efficiency as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/galarza-matias/v7raiufc/"]Matias Galarza[/a] struck the tournament's ⁠fastest goal with a stunning, 25-metre strike ‌just over a minute into the match.[/p][image alt="Match momentum" id="c8c6199d-94c7-489a-b0ac-bbfbdb052fac" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="ae47f719-50bc-4c1d-98b3-7050e5bd22b0" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]Turkish fans will wonder what might have been had [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/muldur-mert/WhLfJ2Ta/"]​Mert Muldur[/a]'s 35th minute header from a free kick gone in off the crossbar rather than rebounding against the post.[/p][p]That was as close ​as Turkey came despite players queuing up for a ping at goal right up to the finish, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/yilmaz-baris/8dwASoxi/"]Baris Yilmaz[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/uzun-can-yilmaz/hljGyhNr/"]Can Uzun[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/demiral-merih/MRw4A5FO/"]Merih Demiral[/a] all failing to ⁠put away good chances.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/guler-arda/CUU9qDpb/"]Arda Guler[/a], ​the 21-year-old pinup boy of Turkish football, apologised to the nation.[/p][p][b]"We tried very hard but it didn't work. But we should have scored some goals,"[/b] he said.[/p][p][b]"We should have won these games ... Everybody's sad, everybody's crying."[/b][/p][p]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 [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/yildiz-kenan/0EgOZVie/"]Kenan Yildiz[/a] had appeared set to make their mark on the global stage.[/p][p]Instead, Turkey's players and staff will face a fierce reaction on the home front before their final group game against the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/usa/fuitL4CF/"]US[/a], who have already qualified for the round of 32.[/p][embed guid="f8864aab-dd74-4e97-add0-a7f9c56927d4" url="https://x.com/Flashscorecom/status/2068198826846888429" social-type="twitter" /][h2]Credit to the players[/h2][p]For Paraguay, it was a win for the true believers following their dreadful display against the United States.[/p][p]Coach Gustavo Alfaro backed his no-frills squad to ‌turn it around but his decision to bring in Galarza, who was unused ​against the US, proved a masterstroke.[/p][p]After the midfielder's goal it was grit, ‌determination and a generous dollop of luck that kept their tournament alive.[/p][embed guid="a0ab265e-030d-4fa8-be67-c15199791ecf" url="https://x.com/Flashscorecom/status/2068188395914866789" social-type="twitter" /][p]Not even a red card in first-half stoppage time could deny the South Americans, though their task was made harder by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/almiron-miguel/AwqEUHxT/"]Miguel Almiron[/a]'s dismissal for remarks made to Muldur with his hand covering his mouth.[/p][p]Alfaro said his players had ⁠shown their mettle.[/p][p][b]"It's nothing about tactics ⁠or strategy here. This victory, this ‌result is to the credit of the players,"[/b] he said.[/p][infobox id="4ccc1b10-d68f-4c97-bcf4-5e613c17c2e3" /]