Paraguay Stun Germany, Brazil Snatch a Stoppage-Time Escape

Geoffrey Ashworth

The cold, unyielding drama of the penalty shootout... there is simply, um, nothing else like it in all of sport, is there? Sixty-three thousand, nine-hundred and forty-five souls packed into the steel-and-wire cathedral of Foxborough, Massachusetts, holding their collective breath. Now, before we dissect how the mighty German machine was brought to its knees, this daily recap is supported by Jellypod—the brilliant little app that turns your daily notes into your own personal podcast. No fuss, just honest audio. And goodness, do we have some honest, gritty football to talk about today. Germany... out. Sent packing by a Paraguay side that showed the kind of pure, defensive heart that-that-that just makes you romanticize the beautiful game all over again. It wasn't pretty. It was a physical grind. My late father used to tell me, when he took me to Hillsborough every other Saturday back in the sixties, that "Geoff, some matches aren't won with a paintbrush; they're won with a shovel." And Paraguay... oh, they brought the shovels to Foxborough. They disrupted, they harried, they broke the clinical German rhythm. In the forty-second minute, Julio Enciso... oh, what a moment! He rises, gets his boot—well, his head, rather—to a cross and loops it right past Manuel Neuer! One-nil to the underdogs. Now, Germany being Germany, they pushed back in the second half. Florian Wirtz, a lovely player, floating a cross for Kai Havertz to head home the equalizer. You thought, "Well, that's it, the machine will take over now." But Miguel Almirón, returning from suspension, was absolutely heroic. He was drawing fouls, slowing the tempo, just making himself a nuisance. And so to penalties. The tension... it was thick enough to cut with a butter knife. Orlando Gill... remember the name! Two massive, flying saves in the shootout to deny the Germans. And then, step up José Canale. The weight of a nation on his shoulders. He runs... and smashes it home! The sudden-death winner! Paraguay are through four-three on spot-kicks! Absolutely magnificent! The giants have fallen in Foxborough! And-and-and just down in the south, in the grand old Houston dome, we nearly had another massive shock. Brazil versus Japan. Now, Japan played with an incredible, heroic heart, especially considering they lost their star man, Takefusa Kubo, to a dreadful meniscus tear before the match. And yet, in the twenty-ninth minute, Kaishu Sano... a shocking, right-footed strike from distance that flew into the net. One-nil Japan! Brazil looked absolutely rattled, totally devoid of ideas against a deeply organized Japanese shape. Casemiro, the old warhorse, managed to head in an equalizer shortly after the halftime interval, but Japan hung on, defending like lions. It looked for all the world to be heading to extra time, until the ninety-fourth minute. Gabriel Martinelli... finds a pocket of space, cuts inside, and fires it home! A ninety-fourth-minute stoppage-time winner to break Japanese hearts! Demolished them in the final seconds, but the Seleção somehow sneak through, two-one.

Geoffrey Ashworth

But now... now we turn our eyes south, to that modern cathedral of steel nestled right in the shadow of the great saddleback mountain. Estadio BBVA in Guadalupe. Tonight, the Netherlands take on Morocco, but the football... well, the football feels secondary today. The Dutch camp has been hit by the most heartbreaking, poignant personal news. Cody Gakpo and his partner, Noa van der Bij, have tragically lost their unborn son. It is... it's the sort of news that puts our silly little game into perspective, isn't it? Both Virgil van Dijk and Ronald Koeman have released moving statements, making it clear that family comes before football, always. Yet, in an act of immense, quiet courage, Gakpo has chosen to start tonight. You can only wish him, and his family, all the strength in the world. On the pitch, it's a fascinating tactical battle. Morocco, with Achraf Hakimi, Ismael Saibari, and the glittering Brahim Díaz, will look to exploit any Dutch emotional fatigue. The Oranje will counter with Brian Brobbey, Gakpo, and Crysencio Summerville. The prize for the winner of this emotional fixture? A date with Canada in the Round of 16 in Houston on July fourth. We remember Canada's dramatic escape yesterday, and they'll be watching tonight's clash with keen interest. And looking ahead to Tuesday, June thirtieth... my word, what a slate we have. At one p.m. Eastern, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, it's Ivory Coast against Norway. Erling Haaland, the physical powerhouse, trying to bully an equally physical, uncompromising Ivorian defense. Then at five p.m., MetLife Stadium in New Jersey hosts France against Sweden. Ousmane Dembélé is in red-hot form, and Sweden will need to be at their absolute, disciplined best to contain him. Finally, at nine p.m., the co-hosts Mexico face Ecuador at the Estadio Banorte in Mexico City. The pressure on the home side is going to be absolutely suffocating. It is... it's the beautiful, cruel, magnificent theater of the World Cup, where underdogs refuse to read the script and the honest grind of the pitch triumphs over clinical theory. Join me tomorrow as we see who survives. Until then, enjoy the football.