Following a hard-fought win over Chile this Saturday - when Brazil scrapped through to the quarterfinals with a 3-2 win through penalty shootouts -, an apparently calm Luiz Felipe Scolari spoke to the press. The coach applauded the team's bravery in the penalty decision, complained about the refereeing, making reference to the laxness of English referee Howard Webb with regards to Brazil, criticizing the "side goal" conceded by Brazil, and stating the obvious need to improve in the next stage. Below are excerpts from the interview with Scolari:
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Chile
"When the table came out, I thought it very possible that we would get Chile. They have an organized team, with good players. The match was won in the penalty shootouts, which takes nothing away from Chile and only emphasizes our performance and the quest for classification".
Team maturity and support
"It's concerning, because it's a young team. Even the most experienced have only been through one World Cup. Those who say they don't feel the nerves are lying. This is not just any game. Little by little, the team is building experience. Willian missed a penalty, he's young. This will add to his future. We have a good team. Now, I want to say to our fellow Brazilians: more support is fundamental. The support has been vital at certain moments, helping us".
HIGHLIGHTS
The redemption of Júlio César
Qualification for the quarterfinals of the Fifa World Cup was certainly hard-fought. But the match also revealed a hero that prevented Brazil from doing the unthinkable and leaving the competition in the round of sixteen: Julio César. The goalkeeper let the Brazilian side down in 2010, leaving that tournament with a heavy weight to bear. Four years later, Luiz Felipe Scolari, ignoring good sense, decided to give him another chance. He ran huge risk, but, for some reason, he chose his goalkeeper and ignored all the criticism. It had to be Júlio César. And in the match against Chile, the goalkeeper repaid his coach's confidence.
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Translation: traduzca.com
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