TNT Sports
Olmost but not quite
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Published 09/07/2004 at 10:31 GMT+1
Chile coach Juvenal Olmost has urged his players to stick to their game after losing 1-0 to Brazil in Thursday's Copa America clash. Chile had looked the more likely to score against an under-strength Brazil team, but striker Luis Fabiano clinched victory for ther world champions with a last-minute header.
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"We were unlucky because it was at that precise moment that two of our best players for dealing with high balls were off the pitch," Olmos said, referring to the fact that Hector Mancilla and Moises Villarroel were receiving treatment for injuries when the goal was scored.
The Chile coach lamented his team's missed chances, but claimed that his strategy of closing down the Brazilian players and counter-attacking swiftly had worked.
"I feel that we were the playmakers in this game, but we weren't able to put away our chances... I was satisfied with our performance, if not the result, and I believe that we are in good shape going into our next game," he said.
These sentiments were echoed by striker Sebastian Gonzalez, who missed a first-half penalty.
"If we want to beat Paraguay we just have to play like we did against Brazil, but put away the chances that we missed," he said.
Paraguay beat Costa Rica in the other Group C game played on Thursday.
Chile will play against Paraguay on Sunday, while Brazil will meet Costa Rica to complete the second round of Group C games.
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