Paraguay Win Sends Fans on Emotional Rollercoaster Ride
Paraguay pulled off the first genuine shocker of World Cup 2026 knockout play defeating the heavily favored Germans 1-1 (4-3) on penalties.
The scenes at Fritz & Franz Bierhaus in Coral Gables perfectly encapsulated the back-and-forth emotional swings of the late afternoon matchup as patrons, mainly of German descent, gathered to cheer on Die Mannschaft.
I arrived about an hour and a half before kickoff and paid the $20 cover fee to sit inside, and it was well worth it for the phenomenal, authentic German atmosphere. Fritz and Franz has been around since 2002 and labels itself as South Florida’s oldest running German and Austrian restaurant, and the menu features liter beers, sausage samplers, and schnitzel.
The seating for the watch party, in German bier hall style, was on large, shared tables seating up to 10, making it easy to mingle with other fans throughout the match.
There were several Germany supporters at our table, along with a handful of Brits who were cheering on the upset. This was due to a long history of Germany knocking England out on penalties in international tournaments, a scenario that many English fans have been traumatized by at some point in their lives.
Penalties, after all, are a category that German national teams of the past have historically excelled at.
That would be put to the test, however, as Paraguay played the kind of lock-down defensive game I had expected from them when they took on the US in group play.
They were able to frustrate the high-flying German attack for much of the first half and then, against the run of play, La Albirroja were rewarded by a goal from Julio Enciso in the 42nd minute to take a 1-0 advantage into the break.
Kai Havertz was able to bring Die Mannschaft level shortly after halftime with a glancing header off a looping cross into the box from Florian Wirtz in the 54th minute. That gave the Germans something to build on, but Paraguay simply would not let them do so.
The contest made it to extras where it appeared that Jonathan Tah had given Germany the lead with a booming header off a corner kick, but VAR waved the goal off after it was determined Paraguay’s keeper, Orlando Gill, had been fouled by Waldemar Anton.
Finally, penalties arrived, and it would be a back-and-forth ride that would send the fans at Fritz and Franz along an emotional rollercoaster.
The Germans faced an uphill battle from the first kick, as Havertz had his effort saved by Gill. Then the sides traded goals until the fourth round when Nick Woltemade’s shot was stopped, putting Die Mannschaft on the brink.
After a Paraguay miss and a goal by Amiri, when his nation needed him most, Manuel Neuer stepped up one final time and saved Fabian Balbuena’s attempt to send it to sudden death.
His efforts were not rewarded, as Tah skied his attempt over the bar, and Jose Canale put the dagger in the heart of Deutschland to send La Albirroja to the Round of 16.
The whole spectacle, despite the ultimate disappointment for most of the fans in attendance, made for a fantastic viewing experience, and exactly the kind of atmosphere I’ve been seeking out throughout this journey.
Germany will have a lot of questions to ask itself going forward, while for Paraguay, their turnaround since being dismantled by the US in their first group stage match is now complete.
They are one of the tournament wild cards going forward, and it will be thrilling to see if their grinding defensive style will be enough to hold off the French on July 4th.