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Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Second Round : Paraguay 0-0 Japan

Paraguay edged Japan in a penalty shoot-out at the 2010 World Cup to reach the last eight for the first time.

Paraguay and Japan were both striving to reach the quarter-final for the first time - and the occasion seemed to get to both sides who produced a sterile safety first approach to the game through-out.

This produced a game of few chances, the closest of which came in the first half when Daisuke Matsui smashed a long-range strike against the Paraguay crossbar in the first half.

Paraguay won the penalty shootout 5-3, with only one miss from the nine kicks, when Yuichi Komano's spot kick clipped the crossbar before flying over. Paraguay were ecstatic to win - Japan distraught. But the Asian side ultimately paid for their lack of ambition.

Paraguay now have a quarter-final game against Spain on July 3rd.

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