Weverton does not admit failure and talks about Palmeiras' bad luck in the Club World Cup

PHILADELPHIA - Weverton did not admit that he made a mistake in the goal that sealed Chelsea's 2-1 victory and Palmeiras ' subsequent elimination from the Club World Cup. The goalkeeper simply mentioned, more than once, that he and the team could have had better luck in the game.

"That's football, unfortunately we always have that feeling that we could have had better luck," the goalkeeper summarized in an interview after the setback, reliving a new trauma for Palmeiras, who also lost to Chelsea in the 2021 World Cup final.

"The feeling is that we could have had a better result, but that's part of it. It's football and we can't always control it," he added. His assessment is that there was nothing better he could have done on Gusto's shot, which was deflected before the ball went in.

"My view from inside the game is that it was a deflection, if I'm not mistaken on Ríos' knee, and I had already planned to go for the ball and when I tried to get back I couldn't. That's my view, I haven't seen the play yet, but I don't think it will be any different from that," explained the goalkeeper.

Three individual errors robbed Palmeiras of the chance to win a World Cup. It was the same with Marcos in 1999, Luan in 2022 and, now, Weverton. The defeat hurt more, said the goalkeeper, because the goal was conceded at a time when Palmeiras was better in the game.

"We regret everything that happened, but I don't think it erases everything we tried to build in the competition," said the team captain in Gustavo Gómez's absence.

The lessons that Palmeiras takes from the World Cup in the United States to Brazil have to do with the team's competitiveness. In his opinion, despite saying goodbye without defeating a European opponent - a draw with Porto and a defeat to Chelsea - the team is capable of competing with any opponent.

"The biggest lesson we will take away is knowing that we faced the biggest teams and managed to compete, show our fight, our determination and our football."

Palmeiras returns to Brazil this Saturday morning. The squad will have a few days off before returning to training. The next opponent will be Santos, in a derby at Vila Belmiro, the date of which is yet to be defined.