Ganso rues Fluminense exit, praises Vasco: “They were better” | OneFootball

Amid the frustration of a painful elimination on penalties, the voice of experience brought clarity to the Tricolor night. As he left the field, midfielder Paulo Henrique Ganso became the spokesperson for the feelings of the Fluminense squad: sadness over being knocked out in the semifinals of the Copa do Brasil, but also recognition of the opponent’s merits and the certainty that the main objective of the year had been achieved.

“Penalties aren’t a lottery, they’re about composure”

Avoiding the cliché that penalties are just a “lottery,” Ganso offered a deeper analysis of the decisive moment of the match. According to him, the skill and composure of Vasco’s penalty takers made the difference in the shootout, which ended 4-3 for the rival.

“Unfortunately, we wanted to reach the Copa do Brasil final, but it wasn’t possible. People say penalties are a lottery, but you need a bit of composure when you step up to take them. They were better than us and deserve congratulations,” said the midfielder.

Main objective of the year achieved

Despite the pain of being eliminated from such an important competition, Ganso made a point of putting the season into perspective. The midfielder recalled that Fluminense achieved its top priority for the year: securing a spot in the next edition of the Copa Libertadores through the Brazilian Championship.

“In the Brasileiro, we achieved our goal, which was qualifying for the Libertadores,” he emphasized.

“There shouldn’t be any fighting”

At the end of the match, a general brawl between players from both teams marred the spectacle. Asked about the incident, Ganso was categorical in condemning the fight and called for respect for the result of the game.

“There’s rivalry, but there shouldn’t be any fighting. Vasco secured qualification and no one should want to fight, it’s time to go home and rest now,” concluded the number 10.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.