Paraguay beat Japan on penalties to move into the World Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday after the match finished goalless after extra time.

Japan and Paraguay stand on the brink of World Cup history ahead of their second round clash at the Loftus Versfeld stadium in Pretoria on Tuesday.

Japan won't settle for a draw in Thursday's World Cup showdown with Denmark even though a point will be enough to qualify for the second round.

Italy fought back to avoid an upset against Paraguay on Monday but Japan broke African hearts with their first Soccer World Cup win on foreign soil.

Former Celtic star Shunsuke Nakamura is uncertain of his role in the team as they prepare to get their Soccer World Cup campaign underway.

Japan coach Takeshi Okada came under fresh fire on Tuesday for asking his boss if he should quit after a shock 2-0 defeat to Asian rivals South Korea.

With one of the strongest squads in Asian soccer, Japan, winners of three of the last five editions of the AFC Asian Cup, have high hopes for SA.