Greece coach Fernando Santos said that his team did not take their chances in their defeat to Costa Rica at the 2014 World Cup.
The Ethniki lost 5-3 on penalties to Los Ticos after drawing 1-1 with them after 120 minutes but Santos praised his players for their efforts.
“I don’t like talking about good luck or bad luck. Someone has to be lucky and tonight it was them, and I congratulate them for that,” Santos said after the match.
“I think Costa Rica were the better side in the opening 15 minutes, but then we came back into it.
“We had to go and take more risks after the goal, but they defended well and tried to hit us on the counter.
“In the end, though, we managed to take the game into extra time, when we put pressure on them but weren’t sharp enough, which is perfectly understandable when you’re tired and tense.”
Santos also had some praised for Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas, who managed to save a vital penalty from Greek striker Theofanis Gekas.
“Navas was brilliant. Without him, the outcome would have been different,” Santos concluded.
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