Stalemate in Pedro Juan Caballero: Ten-Man 2 de Mayo Hold Cerro Porteño to Goalless Draw, Shaping the Clausura Run-In

A crisp evening at Estadio Monumental Río Parapití delivered no goals but ample drama, as 2 de Mayo, reduced to ten men with half an hour to play, held title-chasing Cerro Porteño to a tense 0-0 draw that echoes loudly in the Clausura title race.

This was not a match where finesse flourished. Instead, grit and discipline were on full display—especially from a 2 de Mayo squad determined to defend its fortress and its five-match winning streak against one of Paraguay’s perennial powerhouses.

By the time the whistle blew to end the first half, the pattern was established. Cerro Porteño dominated possession but rarely threatened with precision, undone time and again by a 2 de Mayo back line that has conceded just a single goal in their last five domestic outings. Goalkeeper Juan Acevedo marshaled his box with quiet authority, deflecting Cerro’s rare incursions and orchestrating a defensive unit that thrives on structure over spectacle.

Yet the match’s true turning point came in the 62nd minute. A flash of boots in midfield turned into a contentious challenge, and referee Álvaro Rojas, resolute amid a cacophony of protest, produced a red card for an unidentified 2 de Mayo midfielder. Down a man and already playing on the counter, the hosts were forced deeper, throwing bodies in front of every Cerro cross and shot. The momentum swung decisively; Cerro poured forward, eager to capitalize on their numerical advantage.

But here the match turned from contest to siege—and 2 de Mayo proved themselves equal to the test. Frustration mounted for Cerro’s forwards, who found their avenues to goal blocked at every turn. Coach Victor Bernay’s substitutions aimed to inject urgency—bringing on pace and width in hopes of stretching the depleted defense—but the final ball eluded the visitors, and clear-cut chances remained stubbornly scarce.

The final quarter-hour saw Cerro’s pressure intensify, but 2 de Mayo’s resistance only stiffened, roared on by a partisan crowd sensing the significance of a single, precious point. As stoppage time ticked away, Cerro’s Juan Iturbe curled a free kick just wide, the closest either side came to breaking the deadlock.

For 2 de Mayo, the result represents more than just a halt to their five-match winning streak. It is a statement of resolve against one of the division’s giants, keeping them firmly in fifth place with 25 points from 15 matches and extending their unbeaten run to six. After recent victories—among them a comprehensive 3-0 away win at Sportivo Luqueño and a pair of clinical shutouts—this was another demonstration that the team from Pedro Juan Caballero is no longer content to play the role of spoiler.

Cerro Porteño, meanwhile, will rue the missed opportunity to close the gap at the top. Despite 31 points and second place in the Clausura standings, Bernay’s squad now lags behind the leaders with the campaign entering its decisive phase. The draw extends Cerro’s own unbeaten streak, but with rivals breathing down their necks, the inability to turn dominance into goals—especially against a team that finished with ten—could linger in the coming weeks.

If history offered a preview, tonight’s contest subverted expectations. The last time these sides met, Cerro edged 2 de Mayo in a five-goal thriller, a 3-2 result in July marked by attacking flair and late drama. This time, all of the intrigue swirled around missed chances, defensive heroics, and the raw tension of a match that never quite tipped into chaos.

Looking ahead, both clubs have everything to play for. 2 de Mayo remain poised to threaten for a top-four finish—and with a defensive record now among the best in the league, their ambitions feel newly justified. Cerro’s path to the title is still open, but the margin for error is narrowing. A single moment, a single lapse, could now define the rest of their season.

What tonight made abundantly clear is this: in the high-wire act that is the Clausura run-in, every point earned—no matter how hard-fought or unspectacular—carries the weight of something larger. For 2 de Mayo and Cerro Porteño, the battle is far from over. The next chapter looms, rich with promise and, as tonight showed once again, unpredictability.