Goals dry up in warm-ups
Only two goals were scored in three matches as the football friendlies ahead of the World Cup entered the penultimate round. Paraguay won 2-0 against fellow World Cup qualifiers Greece while Honduras warmed up for their opener against Chile with a 0-0 draw against Azerbaijan in Austria.
Serbia, the other World Cup qualifiers in action on Wednesday, were also preparing at altitude in Austria and drew 0-0 against Poland.
Enrique Vera and Lucas Barrios scored first-half goals in Winterthur, Switzerland, to give Paraguay victory over Greece in the last World Cup warm-up game for both teams.
Vera easily slotted home a rebound in the ninth minute after a shot from Roque Santa Cruz hit the bar. Santa Cruz again threatened in the 25th and his shot was stopped by Greek goalkeeper Alexandros Tzorvas. Barrios drove in the loose ball to make it 2-0.
Greece face South Korea in their opening match. Nigeria and Argentina are also in group B. Paraguay take on Italy, New Zealand and Slovakia in group F.
Honduras dominated non-qualifier Azerbaijan but created few chances on a wet field. Play in the Serbia-Poland match was also hampered by lots of water on the field, frequently holding up the ball and preventing fluent passing.
Striker Marko Pantelic missed Serbia's best chance after 74 minutes when he shot the ball over a deserted goal off a right-wing cross by Dragan Mrdja. Serbia play Germany, Australia and Ghana in Group D at the World Cup. Poland failed to qualify for the month-long event. In other friendly ties, Ukraine beat Norway 1-0, Macedonia defeated Romania 1-0, Sweden beat Belarus 1-0 and Albania beat Andorra 1-0.
— AP
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