The match
To be totally honest, it was a bore of a match. Both teams had a couple of chances, and it was a game of two halves, with Paraguay better in the first half and Japan better in the second. Honestly, the game only became exciting during the penalty shootout
The teams
Japan looked physically tired in this match, a team that’s probably stretched thin trying to keep the quality in the pitch at all times. You can tell the improvement in their game year after year and I’m sure we’ll soon begin to see this improvement in J-league teams as well.
Paraguay sucked it up, tightened it out and made it to the quarter finals. They’ll clearly be the underdogs against Spain, but their attacking duo of Forlan and Suarez is a match for the Spanish defense, which hasn’t been looking especially sharp.
