Brazil-Netherlands – M. Zagallo: “The DENMARK game was hard, but the match today was much more difficult”

Mario ZAGALLO, BRAZIL team coach

The DENMARK game was hard, but the match today against the NETHERLANDS was much more difficult. In fact, the Dutch team is more organised, not as rushed, and has a superb ball control. Certainly, DENMARK was an important team with exceptional players and a different style, but the Dutch selection is more difficult to confront than DENMARK.

Up until the last 4 minutes of the match, we played a very defensive game. Due to the NETHERLANDS way of playing and imposing the pace of the game, we couldn’t risk leaving open any spaces, otherwise we would easily have lost. In the first half, the NETHERLANDS were superior with their own strong defence, but they didn’t succeed in adjusting to our defensive game. In the second half, we had more opportunities. There were 2 or 3 plays that could have been decisive to the game, notably after DENILSON’s (19) entry, but fate brought the final score to 1 – 1. There was no particular quality in the team that was remarkable in itself. Physically and technically, they played superbly.

The extra time is a question of sudden death. I told them beforehand that it was all or nothing. The stakes were high, but just as in 1994, the penalties brought us victory. The choice of strikers was a difficult one. The substitution of LEONARDO (18) with EMERSON (11) had been a very difficult decision, but I am confident in my players and know that I made the right decision.

TAFFAREL (1) played an important match, but the victory is everyone’s. Whereas the Brazilians at home are all out in the streets right now partying, we can only be satisfied with our performance and continue preparing ourselves for the last match. We are here only to win, and we will win. There’s only one match left, and we will succeed.”