Cesare Prandelli admits Italy “struggled like crazy” to beat Japan 4-3, but “the humidity is unbearable and we have to deal with it.”
Cesare Prandelli admits Italy “struggled like crazy” to beat Japan 4-3, but “the humidity is unbearable and we have to deal with it.”
The Coach spoke to Rai Sport after the extraordinary Confederations Cup victory in Recife, which secured their spot in the semi-finals.
“We deserved it against Mexico, but struggled like crazy tonight. The humidity is something we have to deal with, as it really is difficult,” said Prandelli.
He made a remarkable decision to substitute Alberto Aquilani after just 30 minutes, introducing Sebastian Giovinco.
“We were 2-0 down and in the first 25 minutes didn’t know what we were meant to be doing. We got it back on track and then tried to preserve the result because we had run out of gas!
“We had no energy to do anything else at that stage. In those moments you are not clear-headed and struggling to do everything, so you have to be even more focused.”
It was a poor performance overall, but Prandelli tried to find the positives.
“I liked to see this Italy suffer and fight for the result at all costs. We could’ve settled, but instead we kept fighting.
“I need to get the team back and then I don’t know what performance we can put in against Brazil. The humidity and heat is unbearable, so we have to figure out how to deal with it.”
Daniele De Rossi, who scored this evening, will be suspended for the final Group A game with Brazil.