Despite their underdogs tag, Chile overcame the odds and defeated Portugal 3-0 on penalties last Wednesday and secured their place in the Confederations Cup 2017 final in Russia. Now, Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo wants more, and is keen for his team bring home the trophy come Sunday.
Bravo was the hero of for Chile on Wednesday night in Kazan, when after an intense, but goal-less 120 minutes of football, the Real Madrid shot-stopper became the show stopper after heroically saving all three of Portugal’s penalty attempts during the lottery of the shoot-out. Ricardo Quaresma, Joao Moutinho, and Nani, from the spot, all tried but failed to best Bravo during the night.
Now an emboldened Bravo has sounded the war drums and called on his team to pursue even more glory, insisting that his side must now push forward and win the title.
“We are from a country that might not be used to these kind of situations,” Bravo said in an interview after the match.
“So, by playing football, we have the chance to make our people happy so they can forget about their problems. That’s the most beautiful thing of all.
“We hope to keep bringing joy to our fans and now we face an important step, so we’ll aim for the desired result and we’ll make sure we are consistent in order to achieve it,” the Chilean international added.
Such defiant tones certainly won’t unnerve anyone from the German national team, who comprehensively defeated Mexico 4-1 en route to their place in the final of the Confederations Cup. It appears an unstoppable force is set to meet an immovable object come Sunday, and German international Antonio Rudiger is eager for his team to make sure the World Cup champions lift the Confederations Cup on Sunday, despite their perceived lack of experience.
“We are a young team but there are a lot of players with international experience,” Rudiger said in the post-match press conference.
“These guys are all players who play in the first XI with their club team. There is big quality in the squad. I think not everyone thought we would get so far but I always believed in the quality of the team and that is the most important thing,” Rudiger added.
With the final approaching, speculation has become rampant: who will be the next Confederations Cup champion? Will it be the defiant underdogs or the young guns? Only time can tell.
The final of the 2017 Confederations Cup, to be held at the Stadion Krestovskyi in Saint Petersburg, will kick off on Sunday, 2nd July, on 02:00PM England time.