Germany vs. Paraguay: Score, Grades and Post-Match Reaction

Paraguay jumped out to a two-goal advantage early on, and managed to stave off a rally from the favored Germany club to notch a surprising 3-3 draw in Wednesday's international friendly.

The catalyst early on for La Albirroja was Wilson Pittoni, who set up striker Jose Ariel Nunez for the opening goal in the ninth minute, and added his own just moments later at 14'.

That shocked the hosting Germans in their home Fritz-Walter-Stadion in Kaiserslautern, but a response would shortly follow from Ilkay Gundogan in the 18th minute to cut the deficit in half.

Germany was able to bounce back to equalize the match at two apiece by the 31st minute, courtesy of a brilliant goal by Thomas Muller, who slipped in behind the defense and redirected a lob pass into the net past Paraguay goalkeeper Justo Villar.

Villar and his goaltending teammate Roberto Fernandez remedied that later on, as the defense was able to hold off the German attack until Lars Bender managed to knot the game at three apiece in the 74th minute. Several brilliant saves kept Paraguay out in front for much of the second half, though.

When it looked as though the game would be tied at two apiece at the intermission, Miguel Angel Ramon Samudio found the net at 45+1'.

It was that type of match for Germany—whenever the prohibitive favorites generated some momentum, the underdog Paraguayans ripped it away.

A late bid at approximately the 78-minute mark for Germany to salvage victory was thwarted.

After wonderful teamwork that allowed Lukas Podolski to feed striker Mario Gomez and net the prospective winner, the shot was called back as offside. Fernandez also stymied a late flurry in extra time as well to preserve the tie.

Die Mannschaft can take solace in the fact that they were able to battle back in front of the home crowd and avoid a second straight defeat, which would have joined one with the United States recently.

Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer summed it up about as well as possible after the match:

This back-and-forth affair was definitely much more evenly matched than expected, and despite the Germans' best efforts at the end, a win could not be salvaged.

Let's take a look at some player grades from the starting lineups, headlined by Pittoni, whose early play allowed Paraguay to walk away with a positive result.

 Grades

Thomas Muller, Germany: A

If not for his crafty play to get just behind the opposing defense and beat Villar to the ball deep in the box, the Germans may not have equalized the match and could have gone on to suffer a second straight defeat.

Fortunately for Die Mannschaft, the Bayern Munich star was on his game and found the back of the net at just the right time.

The 23-year-old prodigy has a bright future on the German national team, which is loaded with depth. It's up to the other veterans to pick up the slack after two lackadaisical efforts in a row.

Wilson Pittoni, Paraguay: A+

As mentioned before, if not for his hot start, the upstart Paraguay club would have never been in the fortunate position of drawing the match. The first goal seized the momentum, and Pittoni's quick reply left the home crowd stunned.

It was quite the fashion in which to celebrate his 28th birthday:

Although his team didn't muster quite enough on the attack to pull off the unthinkable victory, Pittoni still was a standout on the attack.

Lars Bender, Germany: A

When Gundogan had to exit the pitch with an ailing back (h/t Goal.com), perhaps it was a blessing in diguise that Bender came in to provide a spark.

The German attack took nearly half an hour to get the job done, but eventually it was Bender who found the net, justifying his substitution by saving the Germans from a ton of embarrassment.

Bender scrambled for the loose ball, bounced it in the air, off his chest, then drove it low to the far post to post Germany's third goal. It was a valiant effort that nearly warrants the highest letter grade on its own, considering the significance.

What's Next?

It was a disappointing effort overall for the German side, but they are still in great shape to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. They need to pick up the intensity, however, after a lackluster showing in this exhibition.

A qualifying matchup with Austria awaits on Sept. 6, once again at home.

As for Paraguay, who rank 49th in the FIFA standings, this was an outing that can be a source of confidence heading into World Cup qualifying. Victor Genes' team will host Bolivia in a qualifier, also on Sept. 6.