Paraguay stuns Germany on penalties to reach World Cup quarterfinals

Paraguay beat Germany 4-3 in a shootout after a 1-1 draw at Boston Stadium, with Orlando Gill saving two penalties for Gustavo Alfaro’s side in front of 63,945 spectators. Julio Enciso put Paraguay ahead in the 42nd minute, Kai Havertz equalized for Germany in the 54th, and Gill’s two saves carried Paraguay into the quarterfinals for a matchup with the winner of France vs. Sweden on July 4 in Philadelphia.

Germany spent long stretches on the ball, but Paraguay’s defensive plan held when it mattered most against a four-time world champion that could not find a second breakthrough. After the final whistle, Gustavo Gómez said the group was tightly united and that it “merecía un partido más,” while Gill dedicated the qualification to all Paraguayans.

Brazil beat Japan 2-1 in Houston on Gabriel Martinelli’s goal in the 90+5th minute. Kaishu Sano had put Japan ahead in the 29th minute, Casemiro leveled in the 56th, and Vinicius Junior struck the post before Martinelli finished the comeback. Martinelli’s fifth international goal and his third in the United States send Brazil on to face the winner of Côte d’Ivoire vs. Norway on July 5 at New York New Jersey Stadium.

Morocco added a third upset in Monterrey, where Yassine Bounou helped carry it past the Netherlands 3-2 on penalties after another 1-1 draw. Cody Gakpo scored in the 72nd minute, Issa Diop answered in the 90+1st, and Morocco held its nerve in the shootout against a Dutch side that had gone 15 World Cup matches without a loss in regulation or extra time since the 2010 final. The match also came with emotional weight for Gakpo, who had announced two days earlier the loss of his unborn son. Ronald Koeman, now the Netherlands coach, had played in the teams’ last World Cup meeting, a 2-1 Dutch win in 1994.