|
Minutes from the semi-finals after Neymar had smashed the ball
into the roof of the net at the end of a sublime move in
extra-time, they allowed Croatia substitute Bruno Petkovic to
fire home to level.
With Croatian keeper Dominik Livakovic rightly named man of the
match for a gargantuan performance, penalties were the last
thing five-times champions Brazil wanted, and so it proved as
Livakovic saved the first penalty -- from Rodrygo -- and
Marquinhos slammed a post to seal Brazil’s fate.
“It's difficult. You have to lift your head,” Brazil captain
Thiago Silva said. “I'm very proud of the boys and what we've
done, but unfortunately, it's part of football. When we lose
something important that we had as a goal, it hurts a lot.
"But now it's time to try to lift my head and carry on. There's
no other alternative. I'm a guy that every time I fall, I get
up.”
Midfielder Casemiro, who scored for the five-times champions in
the shootout, said: “We are sad, we are sure that everyone in
the group gave their best.
“We were upset by the way it happened. It was in our hands, and
it slipped away,” he added, before reflecting philosophically:
“Now it's time to keep calm and life must go on.”
With two Brazil penalty misses, Neymar never got to take a spot
kick, but coach Tite defended the decision to put Neymar fifth.
“The fifth is the decisive one,” he told reporters. “There is
more pressure, and the players who are better prepared should
take this one.”
Tite, who had previously said he was stepping down at the end of
this tournament, railed at suggestions the Brazilians had been
disorganised, telling one reporter: “Disorganised? It is because
of you not because of me.
“I do not agree we were disorganized. We put high pressure at
the front and tried to retain the game with Pedro.
“I respect the result. These things happen sometimes in
football,” he added, before defending his decision to return to
the changing room and not stay on the pitch with his distraught
players as they cried in the arena.
“When we also won different matches I did not stay on the field
of play. Have you seen me celebrating in other instances?
“That’s not my style. The players know how proud I am of their
performance.
"Time will tell what my legacy is.”
[© 2022 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |
|
