shined in a shootout, making all five penalty kicks against Japan’s
three on Tuesday to eliminate Japan from the tournament.
Paraguay 0 (5), Japan 0 (3)
Paraguay dominated possession
of the ball throughout the game, but the Japanese had more opportunities
to score. In the 22nd minute, midfielder Daisuke Matsui’s shot
from 25 yards out hit the crossbar and Keisuke Honda fired one
wide after a fast break from Matsui in the 40th minute.
Paraguay’s
best chance came in extra time when a sliding Nelson Valdez shot
the ball straight at Japan keeper Eiji Kawashima.
Despite
not being able to find the back of the net, both teams showcased
aggressive offense. The two squads racked up a combined total of 55
fouls in the game.
This is the first match of this World Cup that
came down to penalty kicks. Edgar Barreto, Lucas Barrios, Cristian
Riveros, Nelson Valdez and Oscar Cardozo made all five
penalty kicks for Paraguay. The only miss in the shootout was Japan’s
Yuichi Komano who hit the crossbar on Japan’s third attempt.
The
Paraguayans will play the winner of Tuesday’s Spain-Portugal match in
the quarterfinals on Saturday.
Spain 1, Portugal 0
The battle of the Iberian Peninsula went to Spain by the narrowest of margins.
David Villa scored the lone goal of the match, beating Portugest keeper Eduardo in the 63rd minute. It proved to be enough for the win.
Round of 16 (winners in bold)
Uruguay
vs. South Korea
USA vs. Ghana
Germany vs.
England
Argentina vs. Mexico
The Netherlands vs.
Slovakia
Brazil vs. Chile
Paraguay vs. Japan
Spain
vs. Portugal
Here's the complete World Cup schedule.
