Paraguay pull off World Cup penalty gamble at last in historic Germany win

FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts, June 29 : At the World Cup in 1998, Paraguay were clinging on for a 0-0 draw in a last-16 meeting with hosts France in the hope of some penalty shootout magic from goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert but a 114th-minute golden goal by Laurent Blanc dashed that strategy.

Twenty-eight years later, Paraguay pulled off what the Chilavert generation could not - the South American underdogs held Germany to a 1-1 draw after extra time and then eliminated the four-times world champions on penalties.

In one of the biggest upsets ever seen at the World Cup, Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill saved the efforts of Kai Havertz and Nick Woltemade before Jonathan Tah fired over the bar, paving the way for Jose Canale to blast home the decisive spot kick.

It was the first time Germany had lost a penalty shootout at the World Cup.

But Gill has some history of his own as a penalty stopper. He saved two for his club side San Lorenzo in a shootout against River Plate in an Apertura match in Argentina in May, although San Lorenzo eventually lost.

Last year in a quarter-final against Argentinos Juniors he pulled off the decisive save in another shootout.

"It's difficult to describe in words," Gill said when he left the pitch as some of his teammates sobbed with joy. "It was a very challenging game. We were under attack from all sides but we resisted."

Asked about his two saves in the shootout, he said: "We had to analyse every player, every detail."

ALFARO SHOWS FAITH IN HIS DEFENDERS

As well as Gill's heroics, Paraguay's unlikely victory was founded on coach Gustavo Alfaro's unshakeable faith in his defenders.

Criticised for his tactics in the group phase, when Paraguay lost their opening game 4-1 to co-hosts the United States and