Batista recalled that Venezuela is leaving “without losing a match in 90 minutes” / Photo: EFE
Venezuela coach Fernando Batista regretted Friday’s elimination in the quarterfinals of the Copa América once morest Canada but stressed that playing once morest the Vinotinto is “not so easy.”
“Today, playing once morest Venezuela is not so easy for our opponents,” Batista said at a press conference following losing on penalties.
“We had the hope and the dream of playing all six games,” he said, but recalled that Venezuela’s “big goal” now is to qualify for the 2026 World Cup for the first time in its history.
“We’ll look back at the good things that were done, correct the mistakes, wait a few days, swallow the anger and then focus on the playoffs, which is the main objective of all the national team,” said Batista, satisfied with the team.
The Argentine coach recalled that Venezuela is leaving the tournament “without losing a match in 90 minutes,” insisting that the Vinotinto is now “a team that its rivals cannot beat.”
Regarding today’s match, in which Canada took the lead in the first half and then went into a back-and-forth game, Batista said that the Vinotinto tried to “make a proposal.”
“We never thought regarding penalties. We always thought we might win in 90 minutes. That led to the game being back and forth and at times we suffered,” he admitted.
Venezuela qualified first in its group in the first phase, following winning matches once morest Ecuador, Mexico and Jamaica.
In the quarter-final match played this Friday in Arlington (Texas), the Vinotinto sought to advance to the semifinals of the Copa América for the second time in its history.
EU / EFE
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2024-07-06 13:29:16
