A tournament heavyweight is going home, and a South American side that defends like few others is the reason.
The upset
At a packed stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, Paraguay eliminated Germany in a last-32 thriller, Al Jazeera reported. The match finished 1-1 through regulation and extra time before Paraguay prevailed 4-3 on penalties — Germany's first loss in a World Cup shootout, a remarkable footnote for a nation that had built much of its reputation on nerve from the spot.
How it unfolded
Paraguay struck first when Julio Enciso put them ahead in the first half, then defended with the discipline that has become the side's signature. Germany pressed and eventually drew level through Kai Havertz. In extra time, Jonathan Tah thought he had won it for the Germans, only for the goal to be ruled out after a video review — a call that drew immediate protests. With the deadlock unbroken, the tie went to penalties, where Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill became the hero with two saves, enough to carry his team through even after Paraguay missed two kicks of their own, Yahoo Sports reported.
'Extraordinary'
Paraguay's coach, the Argentine Gustavo Alfaro, was measured but plainly moved afterward. "The players understood perfectly what the match required," he said, "and put in a huge effort to prevent Germany from finding spaces and playing their game." The win was no fluke: Paraguay were organized and resolute, and seized their moment when it came.
What's next
Paraguay advance to the round of 16, a milestone for a country that last reached the World Cup quarterfinals in 2010; their next opponent will be determined by other results in the bracket. For Germany, the early exit — beaten by a lower-ranked side, and on penalties at that — reopens hard questions about a storied program's direction at a tournament it had been expected to contend in.
