The Paraguay vs Japan match went down to the wire as the match was decided on a penalty shootout. Both teams were unable to score during the first 90 minutes and the mandatory period of extra time was added to see if either team could score.

Both teams tried hard to score but in the end, with the scores on 0-0, a penalty shoot out was called to decide the result of the match. Paraguay chose Edgar Barreto, Lucas Barrios, Christian Riveros, Nelson Valdez and Oscar Cardozo and all of them scored for Paraguay.

Yasuhito Endo and Makoto Hasebe scored the first two goals for Japan to give them a 2-2 scoreline and the entire stadium was tense waiting for something to happen. In the end, it was Yuichi Komano who failed to score and that gave Paraguay the vital 3-2 lead. Paraguay scored again to make it 4-2 and Japan’s Keisuke Honda scored to make it 4-3. Cardozo made sure he converted and with a 5-3 scoreline it was all over for Japan.

It is painful for any team to lose on a penalty shootout. For Japan, it was a heart breaking match because they were the last remaining Asian team and came so close to securing a place in the quarter finals.

Japan’s coach Takeshi Okada told reporters after the match “In terms of how we played, I have no regrets. No regrets at all. The players have been truly proud at being Japanese and representing Asia as a whole”

When asked why his team were unable to score, Okada said “It's difficult to narrow down why we couldn't score. We are not a team that can score lots of goals. All substitutions and changes I made were to try to push. It's my responsibility, we did not insist enough. I cannot elaborate any further. When I look back at what I could have done for the players and what I did as a head coach I should have been more insistent on winning.”

Paraguay’s coach Gerardo Martino was jubilant that his team had reached the quarter finals. He told reporters that “Perhaps it wasn't the match people wanted to see but I don't think either team has anything to reproach themselves for. It's never nice for a match to be decided in this way but I think we sought the win a little more”

Paraguay will now take on Spain in their quarter final match and most of the experts predict that Paraguay will go down to Spain.