| In a match which frankly speaking could not have been | | | | first passage to the quarterfinals. This in fact being |
| more boring than it was, Paraguay managed to defeat | | | | strange for a nation like Paraguay which in the past |
| Japan on penalties to gain access in to the | | | | has not only won the South American championship |
| quarterfinals. This being for the first time in their history | | | | three times but has a team like Olympia which has |
| and thus becoming the 6th South American team to | | | | won the "Copa Libertadores" on three occasions. |
| reach this stage of a world cup. I for my part would | | | | |
| say that Paraguay slightly out played Japan though not | | | | As for the match, there is not much that can be said |
| by much and basically have themselves to blame for | | | | about it, apart from both teams not really creating |
| having to suffer the anxieties of penalties; after a | | | | many chances and the ones they did were |
| match which they should have won in regulation time. | | | | squandered by bad finishing. Japan however can take |
| | | | | some consolation at having gone past the first round |
| Regarding Japan, though they in all truth did not play | | | | for the first time in a tournament played outside of their |
| badly at end lost given Komana missed his penalty | | | | own country while Paraguay will attempt to go where |
| kick which happened to be Japan's 3rd which for all | | | | they have never been before. This being the semifinal |
| intensive purposes lost it for them though Honda would | | | | of a world cup and all they need do is beat either |
| score his country's last. Paraguay however was able | | | | Spain or Portugal which to me does not seem all that |
| to close it out when Cardoso's calm, almost soft shot | | | | impossible; if they were able to defeat Brazil and |
| went in for a goal to give his team the win and their | | | | Argentina in order to get to the world cup. |