Particle.news

Paraguay Advances With 1-0 Win Over Turkey

A stoppage incident in which Matías Galarza briefly strapped on referee Iván Barton’s lost watch has drawn sharp criticism from former officials.

Overview

  • Matías Galarza scored inside the opening two minutes to give Paraguay a 1-0 victory that secured the team’s progression from the group.
  • During a 44th-minute stoppage a scuffle left referee Iván Barton’s match watch on the grass and Galarza picked it up then put it on his own wrist before returning it minutes later.
  • Former referee Patrick Ittrich publicly called the action “crazy” on television and framed it as an inappropriate on-field act by a player.
  • No formal sanction beyond existing bookings was reported for the incident and Barton was later seen adjusting the returned device on his way to the locker room.
  • The win eliminates Turkey from the group and leaves tournament watchers focused both on Paraguay’s progression and on questions about player conduct and referee equipment handling; Sportbild also reported that Galarza’s goal was the tournament’s fastest so far.