César Peixoto, coach of Gil Vicente, speaking on Sport TV’s Flash Interview after the 3-0 defeat against FC Porto, in a match counting for the 19th round of the League.
Gil Vicente discussed the game until the end
“And truth. I think it was a balanced first half, with situations on one side and the other, a team that was always very well organized. In the second half, I think we started better than FC Porto and created two, three situations, a ball on the bar in which we could have equalized. Then the expulsion happens and it’s another game. But even so, there is enormous pride in my team, because we never stopped trying to get ahead, we never abandoned our identity, we tried to compete until the end, even with one less. Against FC Porto it is difficult; Here, a penalty and an expulsion make everything very complicated. But I think we competed, that’s what we wanted. We know very well how we won, how we drew, how we lost, and we know what our identity is. We didn’t abandon it. I think the team did a good job. There is a game until the 70th minute and then, from then on, there is another.”
Expulsion is decisive in the game
«The 3-0 is a consequence of what happened with the expulsion. From there, it made everything much more complicated. 3-0 doesn’t really mean anything to me. Of course, the fewer goals we concede, the better, but that doesn’t mean anything to me. It says a lot about what we did until the 70th minute, against a strong FC Porto. Congratulations to FC Porto, that is not in question. I’m not here to make excuses, but the truth is that the team was very well, very organized. We created opportunities, we sent a ball to the bar, we had situations at the beginning of the second half and the first goal situation was ours, in the first half. FC Porto also had two situations inside the area and could have scored. I think we divided the game, we didn’t interfere, as I said. The result was just not what we wanted.”
Words for Vasco Sousa
«Let me just say a word here that, for me, more than the game, more than the 3-0 defeat, is important in football: leaving a word of strength, a message of support for Vasco Sousa, for what he has been through. Unfortunately, this is the worst part of football, it is the part that costs the most: a player not being able to do what he loves most, which is his passion, playing football. He has to be very resilient, he has to believe; When no one believes, he has to continue to believe, because he is very young, he has a lot of talent and football will still give him a lot of joy, with absolute certainty. I think it’s important for us, as a coach, even now, after losing a game that I didn’t want to lose, to be supportive. Unfortunately, in my career I also had some injuries and there was a time when I was out of action for almost two years. It’s unbelievable. We always have to believe. Vasco always believes he will still be able to have a great career. And I think this is much more important than a football result, than a game, than a penalty, than an expulsion. This is what characterizes us: the human condition. He is someone with a lot of talent who wants to continue his career, wants to express what he feels, what he does and the quality he has, and is unfortunately unable to do so. This costs a lot. But I think that he, from what they tell me, I don’t know him personally, I know him as a player, he is resilient, he is a winner and he will be able to turn things around.”
Expulsion of Martín Fernández
«Martín is there sad in the locker room. He doesn’t see the FC Porto player, he doesn’t see it. I think it even hits him in the hand. It’s criteria, it’s criteria. He doesn’t see it, it was by accident. I don’t come here, it would make me feel bad to make excuses. I don’t make excuses, I try to find solutions. I think the team competed for 70 minutes. After the expulsion it was a different game, but even so, he continued to try to compete, he continued to get ahead. We also created a goal situation with Sérgio Bermejo, in a great save by the FC Porto goalkeeper. That’s what makes me satisfied: the team didn’t fall apart, it didn’t get disorganized, it didn’t give up, it competed until the end. I leave here with a bitter feeling, because I feel that this expulsion effectively affected the game. We could have competed until the end and we were at a stage where we were better in the game, but it’s football.”
Options on the market
«No, we have options. We had Carlos [Eduardo]who was coming back from injury, and the game didn’t have its own characteristics for him. Agustin [Morales] It’s back now too and we didn’t want to take any chances. In other words, after the expulsion, honestly, it conditioned us a lot. We had to tinker with the team a little to be able to be competitive and, until the end, that’s what we managed to do. The market is open, we’re going to bring people and we’re going to continue, as I like to say, playing with my players, annoying the people up there. I have no doubt about that.”
Related reading
