Chilean players have made history, says coach Sampaoli.
"We can assess that we are on par with the great powers we play against, such as Spain, the Netherlands, and Brazil, being protagonists instead of playing supporting roles. We didn't qualify because that's football. Penalty shootouts are more of a fortuitous event than anything else," he said.
By Luis Ampuero
BELO HORIZONTE (Reuters) "The Chilean national team made history in their country's football through their dedication and quality, allowing them to compete with the world's great powers," said coach Jorge Sampaoli after the team was eliminated from the World Cup by Brazil on penalties this Saturday.
Brazil, having qualified for the quarterfinals, won 3-2 on penalties after drawing 1-1 with Chile during the 90 minutes of regulation time and 30 minutes of extra time. The match was held at the Mineirão stadium in Belo Horizonte.
"The players made history in Chilean football. Vidal was at 40 percent, he could have suffered serious injuries. (Gary) Medel had an 8-millimeter muscle strain and even so he wanted to play for his country," Sampaoli said in a press conference.
"We can assess that we are on par with the great powers we play against, such as Spain, the Netherlands, and Brazil, being protagonists instead of playing a supporting role. We didn't qualify because that's football. Penalty shootouts are more of a fortuitous event than anything else," he added.
In the final minute of extra time, Chile could have snatched victory if it weren't for the crossbar that saved Brazil from a shot by striker Pinilla, when goalkeeper Julio Cesar already seemed completely beaten.
In the penalty shootout, Jara's shot hit the left post, securing Brazil's qualification.
"If it weren't for the unfortunate incident with the goalpost at the end, it could have been an afternoon for the history books. We have to value the pain we feel now, because we played this way against the home team and title contender," said Sampaoli.
Regarding Chile's performance in the match, Sampaoli highlighted that the game plan was followed and that Brazil did not play in the way that was expected.
"We knew we were playing against the main favorite at their home ground. We tried to plan a match of equals and neutralized Neymar with overlapping marking," explained the Argentinian.
"The changes to the team neutralized Brazil, who didn't take risks and didn't create goal-scoring opportunities (in extra time), waiting for penalties. We never suffered from the pressure. In the end, we almost finished with the victory," said Sampaoli.
The coach said he was sad about the way the elimination happened.
"You can't be happy losing like this. You can practice penalties or not. But these are situations that are resolved in a different way. We had the illusion that we could win the match. This tough elimination will be evaluated and in the future we will think about the Copa América," he concluded, referring to the South American tournament that Chile will host in 2015.
(Translation by Rio de Janeiro Editorial Office; 55 21 2223-7128)
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