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Brazil’s Tite blasts ‘absurd’ state of Copa surface
PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil, June 28, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Fuming Brazil coach Tite
raged at the state of the Gremio Arena pitch after the Copa America hosts
squeezed past dogged Paraguay on penalties to reach the semi-finals.
Brazil played more than 40 minutes with a numerical advantage following
the sending off of Fabian Balbuena but couldn’t find a route past Paraguay’s
defensive fortress, needing penalties to progress after a 0-0 draw.
And Tite blamed the pitch for the lack of flowing football from his
struggling side.
“There is room for improvement,” he said. “But that’s also possible when
you play passes on a good ground.
“All the players asked me to complain about it. It’s absurd at such a high
level match to have a ground that is so hard to pass the ball on.
“We needed three touches to pass the ball forward. It’s absurd to have
such bad quality. It’s inconceivable anywhere in the world to have such a bad
ground.”
The pitch in Porto Alegre had already come in for harsh criticism from
some of the tournament’s leading lights, Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Luis
Suarez of Uruguay.
It will also host the second semi-final, although Brazil won’t be involved
in that.
“Scouts honor, I shouldn’t make excuses: if we don’t finish chances then
we don’t. But I’m telling you that we had to take three touches to pass the
ball and you need to think fast,” continued Tite, whose side were jeered by
the home fans at half-time — the third time in four matches they’d been
booed by a demanding public.
– ‘Gives confidence’ –
Barcelona midfielder Arthur, who struggled to impose himself on the match,
said this result would boost Brazil in the long run.
“This qualification gives us the confidence we need. There will be tough
games ahead, sometimes the ball won’t go in, but we’re centered, our heads
are in the right place,” he said.
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“Now we need to relax and concentrate on the next opponents.”
Following the goalless 90 minutes, the quarter-final tie went straight to
a penalty shoot-out — extra-time will only be used if needed in the final.
Goalkeeper Alisson saved the very first spot kick by Gustavo Gomez.
And while Paraguay were back on level terms when Roberto Firmino fired
wide, Derlis Gonzalez did so too immediately afterwards, allowing Gabriel
Jesus to thump home the winning kick.
“We have to keep working hard. This team deserved today’s result,” said
Alisson.
“It was a draw but we were a team that didn’t just want to play on the
counter-attack,” he added in a clear reference to Paraguay’s tactics.
The underdogs, who only scraped into the quarter-finals on goal difference
having failed to win a single group game, could do little else, particularly
after Balbuena’s dismissal. “We created a lot of chances, we hit the post
the (Paraguay) goalkeeper (Roberto Fernandez) pulled off miracles but the
fans got behind us and didn’t stop to the end,” said Arthur.
Paraguay coach Eduardo Berizzo praised his players for having come so
close to pulling off another famous victory in such difficult circumstances.
They also produced dogged defensive efforts in 2011 and 2015 before
beating much fancied Brazil on penalties in the Copa America quarter-finals.
But it wasn’t to be this time.
“I’m very proud of our performance this evening. We could have been
granted a heroic, wonderful victory on penalties but that doesn’t diminish
how pleased I am with my players,” said Berizzo.
“There’s a competitiveness that stands out in this team. It’s up to us, it
doesn’t matter who the opponents are, they will only challenge what you’re
capable of.
“My players convinced me tonight that they can beat anyone.”
BSS/AFP/SSS/1608 hrs