“They gave us up for dead, but we showed that our faith is huge and we never gave up,” explains Luka Modric.
The end of Croatia-Brazil is an accumulation of nonsense by the losing side. After Neymar scored his 77th goal with the national team, the same number as Pelé, the five-time champion is confident and is giving his rival an extra life. Tite withdraws Militao for the second part of extra time, and the Croatian goal falls on that flank. Later, in the light of what logic and canons dictate, the Brazilian coach decided to reserve Neymar for the fifth launch of the shootout “because he is the one with the greatest pressure and the one to be launched by the player with the highest quality. ” He must never shoot. With no time to shed the first tear, Tite announces his resignation as coach. End of the cycle in Qatar. “I said it more than a year and a half ago. I’m not a man of two words.”
Casemiro is one of the few who wants to talk after the disaster, although he doesn’t elaborate either: «All defeats hurt, especially when you have a goal, a dream. We have been thinking about this championship for four years ». Rodrygo can barely bear the desolation after missing his penalty, Vinicius weeps in the loneliness of the bench (his change, another blemish on Tite’s last game), and Neymar sits on the grass and looks at infinity.
On the winning side, luck is mixed with pride. “It’s in our blood. We’re competitive and we work hard,” said midfielder Lovro Majer in the mixed zone. “Let’s all go together. It’s our mindset. We like to play against the big teams”, is followed by defender Borna Sosa. The most exuberant is perhaps the most tired. “They gave us up for dead, but we showed that our faith is huge and we never gave up,” explains Luka Modric, again the best of his team together with goalkeeper Livakovic, author of eight decisive saves. It’s up to the Madrid midfielder to console his Brazilian teammates, especially Rodrygo, who still doesn’t respond: “We have to congratulate him because in this match he has had the strength and mentality to take the penalty, and everyone can miss . That’s what I told him, I encouraged him. I, a few years older than him, missed a penalty against Turkey in 2008 and it’s not easy, but this will make him stronger.”
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
