Sweden 1 Paraguay 0: Ljungberg strike sends Paraguay packing

This is fast becoming the World Cup at which you do not leave early, however bad the traffic. For the fourth game in five the drama came late, very late. This time it was a Swedish audience who were sent into raptures as Freddie Ljungberg headed the 90th-minute winner which finally broke down a resolute Paraguayan side and catapulted the Swedes to the brink of qualification.

One Swede, however, will have had mixed feelings. Had this match been drawn England would have been confirmed as Group B winners and Sven Goran Eriksson would have been able to rest key players against his native country in Cologne on Tuesday. Now he must decide how important it will be to head the group, a target England can achieve with a draw.

By kick-off he will know whether the reward is a tie against the hosts, Germany, or Ecuador. A draw may also suit Sweden as it would ensure their progress. Should Sweden lose, Trinidad & Tobago could become the first Caribbean side to reach the knock-out stages if they beat Paraguay in Kaiserslauten the same day. "We usually want to win every game but it gives us something to think about," said Lars Lagerback, the Swedish coach.

Victory was no less than Sweden deserved last night. Though the goalscoring touch of their acclaimed front pair, Henrik Larsson and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, appears to have deserted them, they never stopped pressing for victory.

Paraguay, despite knowing they would be out if they lost, settled early for a draw. Anibel Ruiz, their coach, said: "We tried to more aggressive with our substitutions", but his team's time-wasting betrayed their real attitude. There was truth, though, when he said: "It is painful, for me and the team. It is a deep pain I feel." Perhaps Paraguay simply felt a point was the best they could achieve against a much brighter Swedish side than the one that foundered on the resistance of the Soca Warriors.

Kim Kallstrom, brought in for Anders Svensson, gave them an injection of creativity and Ljungberg looked sharp. With Tobias Linderoth, briefly a Premiership player with Everton, watertight in the water- carrier role they were advancing with a five-pronged attack.

Lagerback had clearly studied the way England unsettled the South Americans in Frankfurt with a high-tempo start and his players sought to reap the same early dividend. Three times in the first four minutes Paraguayans were forced to concede dangerous free-kicks with Denis Caniza being booked for the worst foul, on Ljungberg.

After eight minutes, Kallstrom stretched Aldo Bobadilla with a 25-yard drive but the goalkeeper tipped it over. Though Paraguay also made opportunities they struggled to test Andreas Isaksson, back in goal after suffering concussion in training.

With Sweden tiring after their early exertions the game began to meander, much as Ronaldo had done on the same turf 48 hours earlier. Then Julio Cesar Caceres inexplicably allowed Isaksson's goal-kick to drop over his head and into the path of Ibrahimovic. But the Juventus striker seems unable to shake off his lethargic conclusion to the Serie A season and he rolled a tame shot into the grateful arms of Bobadilla.

Ibrahimovic's torment was ended at the interval with the more prosaic but reliable Marcus Allback replacing him. After 58 minutes it seemed Sweden had finally penetrated the obdurate Albirroja defence. Allback burst on to a through ball and chipped the advancing Bobadilla - but Caniza just got back to clear off the line.

When Bobadilla read Allback's intentions as he swivelled on to Larsson's knock-down with 10 minutes left, it seemed Sweden would never score. Then a last, desperate, cross, was lofted into the box, Allback headed across goal and Ljungberg, with a trademark late run, started the party.

"I think we played quite well but we can't score," said Ljungberg. "In the end we did and hopefully more goals we follow. We had massive support and it would have been very disappointing not to give something back to them."