"This is life," Paraguay coach Anibal Ruiz said through a translator. "Sometimes you cannot always achieve what you wish to achieve."

Much like against Trinidad, Sweden generated several close scoring chances, but was unable to put the ball in the net until Ljungberg's strike.

In the 59th minute, a floating pass from midfield beat the Paraguayan offsides trap, and Allback was left all alone behind the defense to corral the bouncing ball. He chipped the ball over the onrushing Bobadilla at the top of the box, toward the vacant net. But Paraguayan defender Denis Caniza rushed in and acrobatically kicked the ball away as Allback tried to slide through and poke it in, leaving Lagerback scratching his head on the sideline, wondering when his team would end its scoring drought.

"It's always frustrating, sitting on the bench and creating goal-scoring chances and not putting the ball in the net," Lagerback said.

Bobadilla was superb in goal for Paraguay after coming on in the eighth minute against England when regular starter Justo Villar tore a muscle in his right thigh. He made one of the best saves of the tournament thus far about 10 minutes in to Thursday's game, when he dove at full extension to his left to stop a 30-yard blast from Kim Kallstrom, who was starting in place of Anders Svensson.

In the 80th minute, Bobadilla dove to his left and smothered a close range shot from Allback.

Paraguay nearly stole the lead when substitute Edgar Barreto forced Sweden's Andreas Isaksson to tip the ball over the bar around the 83rd minute.

Paraguay started the second half with an offensive push, as striker Nelson Valdez's shot from an angle in the 46th minute went into the outside netting. The small sections of Paraguay fans were audible over their yellow-clad Swedish counterparts in the 49th minute, when defender Jorge Nunez set up for a free kick from 32 yards out. But his shot deflected off the wall for a corner.

Allback replaced star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic at halftime. Lagerback said Ibrahimovic strained his hamstring in warmups.