"It is clear that we have not lived up to it. "If there is someone responsible for this defeat, it is me". These have been the harsh words of Jorge Vilda after Spain fell to a thrashing against Japan (4-0) losing first place of the group.
"Japan has defended us very well, they have recovered balls and they have gone well on the counterattack," he summed up on TVE. "It is normal for us to be angry and rage, things have not turned out. I take responsibility, I look ahead and I am confident and to continue until the end."
Despite everything, the coach is convinced that the team will be able to transform frustration into a "will to compete". "I imagine that now the team will be frustrated, but soon it will become the desire to compete and face the round of 16. We must digest this tough defeat, get up tomorrow and start. They will be more united than ever, they will push up," he said.
The first footballer who spoke after the win was Aitana Bonmatí. For the blaugrana "the result says it all". "It hasn't been our best match Japan knew what they were playing, they knew that we are offensive and they have set up a low block, they have killed us on the counters", he summed up.
"Each counter was half a goal and it has been very difficult for us to attack that low block. We are in the round of 16, it is a tough stick but we have time to react. Football always gives second chances and in the round of 16 we will have another chance," he added.
Spain will face Switzerland in the next round and will do so with the lesson learned: "All the teams that have seen today's game will think that we left spaces up, but we will correct it. We will take the positive, it will make us stronger. Sometimes you need sticks to grow and be more of a team than ever. I apologize. The result is bulky, we are not proud of what we have shown on the field, but football gives second chances".
Esther González was more understanding, assuring that if there was a match "in which I could fail, that was today" although she commented that "it is very hard to lose like that". "In the game we had possession, but we didn't create chances and it's something we must improve for the next games," said the striker, who confessed that in the short time she was on the green "it's difficult" to change the situation and stressed They have to think about the next opponent".
They all agreed on the good approach that Japan did and that the script came out perfectly. "Japan has played the game they wanted, they have given us the ball and they have waited for transitions. The transitions have been perfect and the finishings were one hundred percent effective," analyzed Irene Paredes, who was also critical of the team: "No We have been able to hurt them, they have been comfortable with three central defenders. There are things to correct and in defense, even though they have attacked well and scored great goals, we have to see things calmly and prepare ourselves".
