In a surprising turn of events at the World Cup, Paraguay has eliminated Germany in the round of 16. The match, held at Gillette Stadium in Boston, ended 1-1 after regular time and extra time, leading to a tense penalty shootout in which Paraguay triumphed 4-3.
Paraguay will now advance to the quarter-finals, where they will face the winner of the match between France and Sweden. Up to this point, only Canada has qualified for the World Cup knockout stage.
On paper, the matchup between Germany and Paraguay seemed lopsided, particularly after Germany’s commanding 7-1 victory over Curaçao, while Paraguay struggled against the USA, suffering a 1-4 defeat.
Paraguay’s First Half Dominance
The first half unfolded as a tactical lesson from Paraguay’s coach, Gustavo Alfaro, against Germany’s Julian Nagelsmann. Paraguay set up a solid defensive structure, allowing Germany to dominate possession with 79% but failing to generate any meaningful shots on target.
Paraguay struck first in the 42nd minute when Julio Enciso scored with a powerful header, following a well-placed corner delivered by Matias Galarza. This marked a difficult moment for German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, as it was his tenth consecutive World Cup match conceding a goal, matching a record previously held by Mexico’s Antonio Carbajal.
Germany responded quickly after the break, with Kai Havertz equalizing in the 54th minute thanks to an assist from Florian Wirtz. However, the equalizer did little to inject life back into Germany’s game, as they reverted to a lackluster style, while Paraguay waited for the match to progress to penalties.
Dramatic Moments in Extra Time
Extra time featured a controversial moment when Germany’s Kerem Demirbay appeared to score in the 102nd minute, but the goal was disallowed following a VAR review due to an obstruction on Paraguay’s goalkeeper Orlando Gill.
The match concluded without any score changes, leading to a penalty shootout that would determine the winner. Havertz opened for Germany but missed, while Paraguay’s Mauricio converted his penalty. The shootout continued to be fraught with tension as both teams alternated scoring and missing, ultimately leading to a heartbreaking result for Germany. Defender Niklas Tah’s miss sealed their fate.
This marks the first time in World Cup history that Germany has lost in a penalty shootout, further complicating their storied legacy in the tournament.
Final Score: Germany 1-1 Paraguay (3-4 on Penalties)
For Germany, the penalty takers included Havertz (miss), Kimmich (goal), Musiala (goal), Woltemade (miss), Amiri (goal), and Tah (miss). Paraguay’s successful takers were Mauricio, G. Gomez, Galarza (goal), Sanabria (miss), Balbuena (miss), and Canale (goal).
Goals were scored by Havertz in the 54th minute and Enciso in the 42nd minute.
Photo of Disallowed Goal
In the 102nd minute, Tah scored what fans thought was a go-ahead goal with a header, but it was later ruled out after a VAR check confirmed interference with the goalkeeper’s ability to play the ball.
This match was officiated by Moroccan referee Jalal Jayed, with Tatiana Guzmán overseeing the VAR review from Guatemala.
Lineups for Germany vs. Paraguay
Germany (4-2-3-1): Neuer – Kimmich, Rudiger, Tah, Brown – Pavlovic, Nmecha – Sane, Undav, Wirtz – Havertz.
Paraguay (4-1-4-1): Gill – Caceres, Gomez, Canale, Alonso – Cubas – Almiron, Bobadilla, Galarza, Enciso – Avalos.
The match showcased a remarkable performance by Paraguay, demonstrating resilience and tactical discipline to overcome a historically dominant team in international football.
