Ramon Diaz said his side's fighting qualities have been encapsulated by its unbeaten Copa America campaign in Chile.
Paraguay coach Ramon Diaz said his side's refusal to lose was the main reason it was garnering respect, as Paraguay advanced to the Copa America semifinals.
"The players, the directors, everyone here is very happy," Diaz told a news conference.
"This is very important for us - a great step to carry on believing in this project."
Diaz's men have gone undefeated on their path to the last four in Chile - beating Jamaica 1-0 and drawing 2-2 with Argentina and 1-1 with Uruguay in the group stages, before beating Brazil on penalties on Saturday after a 1-1 stalemate in Concepcion.