All five Latin America World Cup sides reached the last 16 on defense and key moments, not finishing. Paraguay's exit to France showed the ceiling.
Key Facts
—The pattern. All five Latin American sides reached the last sixteen on defense and decisive moments, not sustained finishing.
—Brazil. They outshot Japan by a wide margin yet needed a 96th-minute winner to advance.
—Argentina. The holders ran up more than two expected goals against Cape Verde but only won in extra time.
—Paraguay. Two rounds of stout defending ended when France took a lead they could not answer.
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