Paraguay produced one of the greatest upsets in recent World Cup history, eliminating four-time champions Germany on penalties at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough on 29 June, winning a nail-biting sudden-death shootout 4-3 after a 1-1 draw through 120 minutes of absorbing, dramatic football.
Jose Canale’s decisive penalty sent Paraguay through to face either France or Sweden in the last 16, sparking scenes of extraordinary jubilation among a squad that had arrived as 97-3 outsiders in the pre-match polls. Germany, who had never previously lost a penalty shootout at a World Cup in their previous four attempts, were left shell-shocked on the Foxborough turf. It was only the second time they have ever lost a shootout at a major tournament, the first being against Czechoslovakia in the 1976 European Championship final.
Germany dominated possession from the outset, completing 190 passes to Paraguay’s 25 in the first 28 minutes alone, yet created almost nothing of note. Paraguay, disciplined and resolute under Gustavo Alfaro, sat deep and threatened on the counter through Miguel Almiron. Junior Alonso forced Manuel Neuer into action inside 63 seconds, the earliest shot on target Germany have faced in a World Cup match on record.
The opening goal arrived from exactly that counter-attacking approach in the 42nd minute. Almiron played a clever reverse pass, the ball was whipped into the box and Julio Enciso, arriving completely unmarked at the penalty spot, headed firmly into the bottom corner. It was Paraguay’s first ever goal in the knockout stages of the World Cup across six previous attempts, and it carried deep personal meaning for Enciso, who had left the pitch in tears during a pre-tournament friendly, his fitness hanging in the balance. Alfaro kept faith with him and the forward repaid that trust with the most important goal of his career. Enciso has now been directly involved in all three of Paraguay’s goals at this tournament, with only Russia’s Oleg Salenko in 1994 managing more goal contributions while being involved in 100 per cent of a nation’s goals in a single edition.
Germany responded after the interval with greater urgency. Kai Havertz glanced a Florian Wirtz inswinging cross into the far corner in the 53rd minute to level, and the four-time champions believed they had won it when Jonathan Tah rose to head home from a corner in the 102nd minute of extra time. VAR intervened, however, ruling that Waldemar Anton had impeded goalkeeper Orlando Gill in a decision that drew fierce criticism. Germany had 75.4 per cent possession across the match, the third-highest recorded by any team in a World Cup knockout tie since 1966. They finished with 21 shots generating just 1.49 expected goals, telling its own story about the quality of their attacking play.
The shootout was a drama in itself. Havertz missed Germany’s opening penalty, Gill saving brilliantly to his left, and though Germany stayed in contention through Kimmich, Musiala and Amiri, they could never recover their composure. Neuer saved from Fabian Balbuena to force sudden death, raising German hopes briefly, but Tah blazed horribly over the crossbar before Canale stepped up to slam home the winner.
Gill was outstanding throughout, making the decisive saves in the shootout to complement a resolute defensive display in which Canale made 15 clearances, the most by any player in the match by a distance. Paraguay’s backline, marshalled superbly by Canale and Gustavo Gomez, nullified Germany’s considerable attacking talent with composure that belied the magnitude of the occasion.
Germany have now been eliminated in the round of 32 for the third time in four World Cups, and it is difficult to see how Julian Nagelsmann survives. Their vaunted attacking trio of Wirtz, Musiala and Havertz have again failed to deliver when it mattered. Germany have also now conceded in each of their last 10 World Cup matches, their longest successive run in the competition’s history. The gap in FIFA rankings between the sides was 31 places, the fourth-largest differential for a World Cup knockout elimination since 1994.
Wirtz finished the tournament with three assists, only Bruno Guimaraes has provided more at this World Cup, but it was not enough to rescue Germany from another early exit.
