Coach Advocaat Remains Proud Despite Curaçao's 1-7 Loss to Germany

Despite a heavy 7-1 defeat against Germany in their historic World Cup debut, Curaçao coach Dick Advocaat maintained a positive outlook, emphasizing the pride his team felt in participating in the tournament. The match, held at NRG Stadium in Houston, marked Curaçao's first appearance in the final round of the World Cup.

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In the end, we are happy because we are part of the biggest football tournament in the world. We have to turn this into a beautiful World Cup. We can still cause surprises in the second and third matches.

Advocaat, 78, acknowledged the significant skill gap, stating that his team faced one of the world's best. He admitted that Curaçao conceded some "easy goals" but stressed that the players should not be disheartened by the loss. "This is not a disgrace," he remarked, urging them to focus on future matches.

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They are very, very strong, and we conceded some easy goals. The players know that when they lose, they must not lose heart. This is not a disgrace.

Curaçao had briefly equalized at 1-1 after Germany's initial lead, with Livano Comenencia scoring for the debutants. However, Germany, a four-time world champion, demonstrated their superior quality. Following the equalizer, Germany scored six more goals, with Kai Havertz scoring twice, alongside goals from Nico Schlotterbeck, Joshua Kimmich, Nathaniel Brown, and Deniz Undav.

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It's about the happiness of the people of Curaçao. That's when emotions come out. Their happiness is truly extraordinary.

Advocaat also shared his emotional experience hearing Curaçao's national anthem before the game, moved by the unwavering support of the fans. He described the happiness of the Curaçaoan people as "extraordinary." German coach Julian Nagelsmann commended Curaçao for their performance, noting that their equalizer forced his team to work harder to regain control. He expressed satisfaction with Germany's seven goals and overall team performance in their tournament opener.

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I am very satisfied because we were able to score seven goals and with the team's performance overall. Starting the tournament with a win is always important, and we are happy to have achieved it.