Paraguay advanced to the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time with a 5-3 victory over Japan in penalty kicks after a 0-0 draw Tuesday.
Oscar Cardozo clinched the win with a low left-footed drive past goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima. The only miss in the shootout was by Japan defender Yuichi Komano on the third try when he hit the crossbar. That made the difference.
The Paraguayans are the fourth South American team into the final eight; only Chile fell short, and it lost to Brazil in the second round.
When Cardozo easily beat Kawashima to end the exhausting match and nerve-racking shootout, his teammates stormed onto the field in celebration of the country's biggest World Cup win. Cardozo pulled at his jersey, goalkeeper Justo Villar jumped on him, and they were quickly surrounded by the whole team.
Japanese players watched the final shot on their knees with their arms around each other. When it went into the net, they let go and sagged. Keiji Tamada fell onto his back, while Japanese players and fans wept.
Paraguay will play the winner of Tuesday night's Spain-Portugal match in the quarter-finals on Saturday.
Both teams played cautiously at Loftus Versfeld, but both teams had chances to score.
Paraguay dominated possession in the first half, but Japan had the better chances. Midfielder Daisuke Matsui intercepted a poor clearance from the Paraguay defence and his shot from 25 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 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 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 Villar. Japan centre 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 shot 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.
The South Americans have conceded only one goal, against Italy, in the tournament.
