2 hours ago Canale scores winning punishment aft Tah blazes implicit arsenic Germany knocked out
ByElizabeth Conway
Spanish shot reporter
There were tears of disbelief and unbridled joyousness arsenic the unflappable Jose Canale smashed location Paraguay's punishment to implicit 1 of the top World Cup upsets successful caller memory.
The celebrations were euphoric, with players sprinting towards the match-winning defender earlier collapsing into a jubilant huddle, marking 1 of the defining moments successful their team's history.
Paraguay supporters of each procreation embraced arsenic tears streamed down their faces, portion chants of 'Vamos!' echoed astir the stadium.
After 120 minutes packed with hostility and controversy, La Albirroja had done the unthinkable.
Relief and ecstasy were etched crossed each Paraguay supporter's face.
A dogged and resilient broadside that averaged lone 0.78 goals per crippled during qualifying, the joint-lowest of immoderate squad to scope the finals, had eliminated four-time champions Germany successful their archetypal World Cup knockout lucifer since 2014.
For Germany, the decision was arsenic historic. They suffered their archetypal World Cup elimination via a punishment shootout, having won their erstwhile four, and lone their 2nd shootout nonaccomplishment astatine a large tourney aft losing the Euro 1976 final.
'Now everyone is going to cognize who Paraguay is!'
Paraguay instrumentality SCENES!
It was a effect that volition unrecorded agelong successful Paraguay's shot past and ranks among the biggest World Cup shocks of the modern era, whilst surely being the tournament's biggest upset truthful far.
"This means truthful overmuch for our country", a 16-year-old Paraguay fan, who was with her family, told BBC Sport extracurricular the Boston Stadium.
"So galore radical doubted us. And we proved each of of them wrong.
"We haven't been to the World Cup since 2010 and I was calved successful 2010.
"This means truthful overmuch to everyone. I haven't been this blessed successful truthful long.
"It is astonishing and specified a large happening for our country. Not galore radical cognize what oregon who Paraguay is. Now everyone is going to cognize who Paraguay is!"
Paraguay weathered an aboriginal German tempest to nutrient a disciplined, defiant performance, sitting heavy and absorbing unit throughout. Germany dominated with 75% possession, completing 719 passes to Paraguay's 161, and registered 21 shots to their opponents' seven.
But this has been a diagnostic of Paraguay's resurgence nether their 63-year-old Argentine manager Gustavo Alfaro. He took complaint six games into the qualifying run and, aft 1 decision successful 12 matches, saw them suffice with comparative ease.
Klopp for Germany? Fans respond to punishment shootout defeat
'We dedicate this to each the radical of Paraguay'
In the shootout, Germany went archetypal but ne'er led. Havertz missed their opening penalty, and Nick Woltemade was besides denied, leaving them connected the brink of a World Cup exit. Paraguay, meanwhile, missed 2 chances to seal triumph earlier substitute Jose Canale held his nervus to person the decisive footwear and spark bonzer scenes.
Paraguay defender Gustavo Gomez said: "I deliberation what we are feeling close present is truly hard to explain. I americium truly arrogant of my team-mates, of the team. We deserved 1 much game.
"Today was a crippled wherever we needed to amusement our existent colours arsenic the Paraguayan team. Germany knew it would beryllium truly hard for them. They knew we would combat not to beryllium defeated. We dedicate this to each the radical of Paraguay."
Former Scotland winger Pat Nevin, astatine the crippled for BBC Radio 5 Live, said helium could not halt himself from beaming astatine what helium was seeing.
"We ticker shot for the emotion, for the joyousness and for the peculiar moments and we are seeing them down there," helium said.
"It is magical to spot specified joy.
"People successful beforehand of america are successful tears. They cannot judge it. This indispensable beryllium 1 of the top results successful Paraguayan shot history."
'They've fixed their radical thing to remember'
South American shot adept Tim Vickery felt a emblematic Paraguayan tone shone done connected the day.
"Paraguay emotion adversity," helium said.
"If you're looking for idiosyncratic to subordinate to successful this World Cup, look for Paraguay. That Welsh connection 'hwyl', that grit and drive, erstwhile it gets difficult, that's erstwhile they travel alive.
"They've travel done adversity to sound retired a elephantine of European football. It's not ever pretty, they play wrong their limitations, but what drama, what a story.
"The nonsubjective successful this tourney was to marque Paraguay consciousness represented and they've done that successful full."
Paraguay present play either two-time champions France oregon Sweden iin Philadelphia connected Saturday (22:00 BST).
Paraguay's president Santiago Pena had already declared a nationalist vacation aft they had sealed World Cup qualification with a crippled to spare.
Now, with a spot successful the past 16 secured, attraction turns to what helium mightiness person successful store adjacent for the celebrations.
Head manager Alfaro said helium spoken to the president yesterday.
"He mightiness state different nationalist holiday," helium joked.
"I privation each of Paraguay to bask this. We whitethorn person our defects, but we person a bosom that ne'er gives up, and that's what keeps america alive."
English (US)·