Kai Havertz, Nick Woltemade and Jonathan Tah missed crucial penalties as four-time winners Germany were eliminated from the World Cup in a shootout by No. 34-ranked Paraguay.
The Germans became the first powerhouses at the tournament to be eliminated in the round of 32 on Monday, after a 1-1 draw led to a penalty shootout in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Paraguay blew two opportunities from the spot to send Germany home before José Canale scored in sudden death.
Paraguay had held Germany to a draw after Julio Enciso’s opener was canceled out by Havertz. The VAR disallowed a Tah goal in extra time to frustrate the Germans.
“We had to analyze every player, every detail. Thanks to that I was able to only miss two penalties,” Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill said afterward. “This is for all the people of Paraguay.”
Canale said: “I think we deserved one more game, and to be honest considering everything that was said, everything we went through. What I want to highlight from our team is how united we are. … Today was a game we really needed to show our true colors.”
Germany had won six of seven penalty shootouts in major tournaments, including six straight since losing to Czechoslovakia in the 1976 European Championship final. It had never lost a shootout at the World Cup before Monday.
In the only previous World Cup match between the teams, Germany beat Paraguay 1-0 in the round of 16 at the 2002 tournament. Nearly a quarter of a century later, Paraguay got revenge.
Paraguay had appeared in five previous knockout games but failed to score in each. It advanced only once in those previous occasions, winning on penalty kicks against Japan in the round of 16 at the 2010 tournament in South Africa. Paraguay fell that year to eventual champion Spain in the quarterfinals.
Monday was Germany’s first knockout game since the 2014 final in Brazil, when the Germans beat Argentina 1-0 to capture their fourth World Cup title. The Germans were eliminated from the group stage at the past two World Cup tournaments.
“We had very big plans for this World Cup. It’s very difficult to disappoint again,” Havertz said. “It was difficult to create chances and keep the pace.”
Paraguay took the lead three minutes before halftime against the run of play when Miguel Almirón hopefully put the ball into the box, and Enciso headed past Manuel Neuer.
Germany had 78% possession in the first half yet were left licking their wounds after Enciso’s sucker punch.
But it took them only until the 54th minute to draw level through Havertz. Florian Wirtz’s dangerous cross into the near post was deftly headed home by Havertz to settle Germany’s nerves, but they couldn’t find a winner inside 90 minutes.
Germany piled the pressure on during extra time, and Tah thought he’d headed home the breakthrough goal until the VAR intervened after spotting a foul on Gill by Waldemar Anton.
– World Cup VAR review: Germany wrongly denied goal vs. Paraguay
A Havertz header was then clawed away by Gill’s outstretched hand. Gill denied Anton from point-blank range from a corner in the 119th minute.
Germany were on the brink of elimination when Havertz and Woltemade missed in the penalty shootout. But a miss from Antonio Sanabria, then Neuer saving from Fabián Balbuena, reopened the door.
However, Tah skied his penalty over the bar, and Canale had the final say to cause a huge shock.
Paraguay will next face the winner of Tuesday’s match between France and Sweden on July 4 in the round of 16 in Philadelphia.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
