30 June,2010 07:19 AM IST | | Agencies
Paraguay beat Japan 5-3 on penalties following a 0-0 draw to reach the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in their history yesterday.
And Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino conceded that his team was luck to win the nerve-wrecking finale.
"It's the first time that a team from Paraguay has made it to the quarter-finals and the same would have applied for Japan," said Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino.
"I just think we were lucky during the penalty shoot-out, that made the difference.
"When you look at how the players played, the solidarity they showed, their enthusiasm, their will to make the history books, both teams did it the same way.
"Perhaps it wasn't the match people wanted to see but I don't think either team has anything to repproach themselves for."
Japan coach Takeshi Okada insisted he was proud of his team and took full responsibility for the failure.
"In terms of how we played I have no regrets at all. The players were wonderful, really wonderful and I'm truly proud," he said.
"They represented Japan and also Asia as a whole and they played until the end. I was not able to make them win, that's my responsibility, I did not make them eager enough."
