Scoring goals is expected to be limited in this Copa America Group D match when Costa Rica and Paraguay clash in Austin, Texas on Wednesday morning (2am kick-off).
Paraguay go into this match at Q2 Stadium fully aware that they have no chance of advancing to the Copa America quarter-finals following a 2-1 loss to Colombia and a heavy 4-1 defeat against Brazil.
Costa Rica displayed determination with a goalless draw against Brazil in their first match, but a 3-0 defeat against Colombia has put them on the brink of an early exit from the major tournament in the United States, unless there is a surprising turn of events.
Team news
Costa Rica will be missing Spartak Moscow forward Manfred Ugalde for Wednesday morning's match in Austin due to receiving a second yellow card in the group stage.
Warren Madrigal replaced Jefferson Brenes in Costa Rica's lineup against Colombia and will be aiming to retain his starting position.
On the other hand, Paraguay's midfielder Andres Cubas was sent off with a straight red card against Brazil and is ruled out for the remainder of the tournament.
Damian Bobadilla was the solitary change in the starting lineup against Brazil after the opening loss to Colombia, and he will be hoping for another starting opportunity on Wednesday.
The stats
Costa Rica's goal-scoring record at the Copa America is concerning, as they have failed to score in seven of their last nine tournament matches.
Los Ticos have only won one of their past six Copa America games, with their most recent victory dating back to 2016 when they surprisingly defeated Colombia 3-2.
Paraguay's recent Copa America record is also underwhelming, having managed just two wins in their last 16 tournament appearances.
The previous meeting between Costa Rica and Paraguay in the Copa America in 2016 ended in a goalless draw.
Prediction
Considering the scoring struggles of Costa Rica and Paraguay's recent difficulties, it is unlikely that there will be many goals in this match at Q2 Stadium.
A goalless draw would not be unexpected in Austin, especially as the last two encounters between these teams also ended without a goal.
If one side manages to break the deadlock in Wednesday's match, that could be sufficient to secure the victory.
Selecting under 1.5 total goals accounts for this scenario in a match that is unlikely to be memorable in terms of scoring opportunities.