"Mentally we wanted to play the final before getting through this step," said Chile´s coach Reinaldo Rueda, after analyzing the 3-0 defeat against Peru on Wednesday in the semifinals of the Copa America Brazil-2019.
"I do not know which factors could have influenced and made the difference in the first 20 minutes of the game, we did not get into the game, we did not show the attitude or the aggressiveness of other games," said the Colombian coach of "La Roja" at a press conference in Porto Alegre
"Mentally we wanted to play the final before getting through this step and Peru surprised us," added Rueda.
Édison Flores (21 minutes), Yoshimar Yotún (38) and the 'Predador' Paolo Guerrero (90 + 1) scored the goals of the Incas in the Arena do Gremio.
Eduardo Vargas had the possibility of discount in the last minute of the game with a penalty, but kicked the ball with a 'Panenka' style, which was stopped by a 'giant' Pedro Gallese.
"When the coach loses, he assumes all the responsibility, the illusion was to reach the final, but we failed against an opponent who knew how to play and tied us in the first 20 minutes," he pointed.
The second goal was just "innocence from our part," said the former Flamengo´s coach, and Peru had the fortune of "a great night of their goalkeeper" Pedro Gallese, key factor in the elimination of "La Roja".
"We reacted in the second half with a good job, we had our situations and we manage the ball, but in front we found a goalkeeper with a great night," he said.
"If we had scored we could have come back to the lead, because the team was determined and playing well in the second half," said Rueda, who has been in charge of "La Roja" since January 2018.
"Now we have to assume the responsibility of being good losers, and we have to recognize that they were better, they scored when they could, and we gave away a good part of the game," he concluded.
Chile, the two times champion, in 2015 as a host and a year later in the commemoration of the Centennial cup in the United States, will face Argentina for the third place, on Saturday in Sao Paulo.
