Kai Havertz, Nick Woltemade, and Jonathan Tah faltered in the penalty shootout, leading to the elimination of four-time champions Germany by No. 34 seed Paraguay on Monday.
In a surprising turn of events, Germany became the first major team to exit the tournament in the round of 32, following a 1-1 draw that concluded with a tense penalty shootout in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Paraguay narrowly squandered two penalty chances that could have sent Germany home before José Canale secured victory during sudden death.
After Julio Enciso put Paraguay ahead in the 42nd minute, Havertz equalized for Germany in the 54th. A VAR review later nullified a Tah goal in extra time, compounding Germany’s frustrations.
“We had to analyze every player and every detail. Because of that, I was able to only miss two penalties,” said Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill. “This victory is for all the people of Paraguay.”
Canale expressed pride in his team, stating, “I believe we deserved an additional match. Given all that’s been said and everything we’ve endured, I want to emphasize our unity. Today was crucial for us to reveal our true strengths.”
Germany had previously excelled in penalty shootouts during significant tournaments, winning six of their last seven, including a perfect streak since their last loss to Czechoslovakia in the 1976 European Championship final. Prior to this match, Germany had never lost a penalty shootout in World Cup history.
In their only prior World Cup meeting, Germany defeated Paraguay 1-0 in the round of 16 in 2002. Now, nearly 25 years later, Paraguay has avenged that defeat.
Paraguay had entered five previous knockout matches without scoring, managing to advance only once via penalties against Japan in the round of 16 of the 2010 World Cup. They were eliminated by eventual champions Spain in the quarterfinals that year.
This marks Germany’s first knockout-round match since their World Cup final win over Argentina in Brazil in 2014. The team had suffered early exits from the group stage in the last two World Cups.
“We had ambitious goals for this World Cup. It’s incredibly disappointing to face this outcome again,” lamented Havertz. “Creating scoring opportunities and maintaining a high pace proved challenging.”
In an unexpected twist, Paraguay took the lead shortly before halftime when Miguel Almirón sent a ball into the box, allowing Enciso to head it past Manuel Neuer.
Despite dominating possession with 78% in the first half, Germany was left to regroup after Enciso’s goal.
Germany responded quickly, leveling the match in the 54th minute, when Havertz expertly headed in a dangerous cross from Florian Wirtz, easing Germany’s nerves. However, they were unable to find a winner before the penalty shootout.
Germany continued to apply pressure during extra time, with Tah believing he had scored the decisive goal, only for VAR to reveal a foul on Waldemar Anton, who impeded Gill’s movement.
– World Cup VAR review: Germany denied goal against Paraguay
Gill made a critical save on Havertz’s header with a superb reaction, and he thwarted Anton’s close-range shot just before the match ended.
Facing elimination, Germany faltered in the penalty shootout as both Havertz and Woltemade missed their attempts. However, a missed penalty by Antonio Sanabria and a save from Neuer against Fabián Balbuena offered a glimmer of hope.
Ultimately, Tah’s shot soared over the bar, and Canale’s successful penalty sealed the stunning victory for Paraguay.
Paraguay will advance to face the winner of the upcoming matchup between France and Sweden on Saturday in the round of 16 taking place in Philadelphia.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.