In the one-eighth final of the UEFA Europa League on July 2, Beijing time, Portugal won the penalty shootout against Slovenia and successfully advanced to the last eight. After the match, Portugal's head coach Martinez accepted an interview with the media, summarizing the match and looking forward to the next match.
Martinez began by recognizing his team's performance during the 90 minutes, saying that the team created a lot of chances and played very well. He admitted that the game could have been more difficult if the team had not scored first. At the same time, he also pointed out the unfavorable impact of the playing field on the ball control team, but the team still showed strong ball control ability and attacking desire.
Martinez was full of praise when talking about the performance of his team's goalkeeper Diogo Costa. He believes that Diogo Costa is the secret weapon of the Portuguese team, the best-kept secret in European soccer. In today's game, Diogo Costa showed a very high level of performance, especially in one-on-one defense and penalty kick saves. Martinez said that the team should be proud to have such a great goalkeeper.
For the team's core player, Cristiano Ronaldo (Crow), Martinez also gave high praise. He believes that Crowe played a decisive role in the penalty shootout, showing the direction for the team. Martinez emphasized that it was a victory of unity, a victory of the locker room, and that Crow, as the team's captain, not only performed well on the field, but also set an example for the team on a spiritual level. He encouraged the players not to give up in the face of difficulties and to persevere even when things are not going well.
In looking ahead to the upcoming quarterfinals, Martinez said the team will return home to the support and cheering of the fans. He believes that today's victory will give the team great confidence and motivation to be fully prepared for the upcoming matches. At the same time, he also reminded his players to stay calm and focused as the match against France will be a completely different challenge.
