PRETORIA, South Africa: Paraguay kept its cool through a shootout and advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time, beating Japan 5-3 on penalties Tuesday after a 0-0 draw.
Yuichi Komano hit the crossbar on the third penalty, while Paraguay substitute Oscar Cardozo walked up casually and scored the winning kick, faking out the goalkeeper.
Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino said the team only practiced taking penalty kicks once.
"Nobody could say we weren’t prepared," Martino said. "But our execution (in practice) wasn’t too good.
"There is a lot of fear and tension during a match. It is difficult to go through a match like that with extra time and penalties. Everybody knows that this is unfair to have it decided by a penalty shootout, but that’s the way it is."
Paraguay will face Spain in the quarterfinals after the European champions beat Portugal 1-0 in Tuesday’s other second-round match.
Paraguay and Japan played cautiously, but didn’t lack scoring opportunities.
"It is very difficult to narrow down why we didn’t score," Japan coach Takeshi Okada said. "We should have made the opportunities. I think it is my responsibility."
Paraguay dominated possession in the first half, but Japan had the better chances.
Midfielder Daisuke Matsui intercepted a poor clearance from the Paraguay defense and his shot from 25 meters (yards) hit the crossbar in the 22nd. Keisuke Honda curled a shot just wide from the edge of the area after a quick break down the right by Matsui in the 40th.
Paraguay forward Lucas Barrios latched onto to a through ball in the 20th and sidestepped the last defender into the penalty area, but his weak shot with the outside of his foot went straight at Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima.
Roque Santa Cruz wasted a good chance for Paraguay just before the half hour mark when a corner glanced off another player and fell to him about six meters (yards) out, but the striker’s shot went wide of Kawashima’s left post.
There was more of the same in the second half, with Paraguay dominating possession but doing little with it.
Japan left back Yuto Nagatomo’s close-range shot in the 54th deflected off a Paraguay defender straight at goalkeeper Justo Villar. Japan center back Yuji Nakazawa made a crucial block in the 56th of a close-range shot by Edgar Benitez and the ball went out for a corner.
Paraguay midfielder Christian Riveros then headed straight at Kawashima in the 59th.
Paraguay had the best chance in the first period of extra time when Claudio Morel cut in from the left and fed the ball to a sliding Nelson Valdez in the 97th, but the substitute’s effort went straight to Kawashima.
Japan’s prowess from free kicks nearly paid off again in the 98th when Honda forced a save by Villar.
The Asian team pressed for a winner late in extra time, but didn’t have enough players forward when a cross went across the face of goal with no Paraguay defenders covering the empty space.
"I have no regrets over the way we played," Okada said. "I am really proud of the players."
The South Americans have a solid defense and conceded only one goal, against Italy, in the tournament.
"Quite obviously we are having a party and celebrating with the rest of the people of Paraguay," Martino said. "I can imagine the happiness of the people there and let them enjoy it. The players have made a huge effort."
