Paraguay upset mighty Germans to reach round of 16
Paraguay upset four-time champions Germany 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw, marking a historic World Cup upset in the round of 32.
Paraguay upset four-time champions Germany 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw, marking a historic World Cup upset in the round of 32.
Paraguay upset four-time champions Germany 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw, marking a historic World Cup upset in the round of 32.
Foxborough, Massachusetts: Four-time champions Germany crashed out in penalties in the round of 32 of the FIFA World Cup, with Paraguay stealing a 4-3 shootout win. The match had ended 1-1 after 120 minutes.
Paraguay's triumph over the European heavyweights will go down as one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history. Jose Canale scored the decisive penalty while two of his teammates missed. For the Germans, Kai Havertz, Nick Woltemade and Jonathan Tah failed to score from the spot.
For Germany, just when it seemed their horrible run of group-stage exits in 2018 and 2022 had ended, a surprise emerged: the humble South American opposition that had not qualified for the World Cup since reaching the quarterfinals in 2010.
Germany made an aggressive start, launching wave after wave of attacks on the Paraguayan goal. But it was Paraguay that took a shock lead against the run of play through Enciso, who scored from a Miguel Almiron move.
But Germany were level just nine minutes into the second half, with Havertz scoring from a header. The Arsenal striker was denied a potential winner in the 78th minute as Orlando Gill made a smart save. Jonathan Tah was denied a 102nd-minute winner after a VAR review for a foul.