Fixed João Matos assured this Saturday that the Portuguese futsal team will “give life” in the historic final of the 2021 World Cup, with Argentina, with “confidence and rigor” in the entire process that they have consolidated.

“If we don’t enjoy and give our lives in this game, we’ll regret it. Looking a lot at ourselves, at what we can do, at the strategy and defense of the game, feeling and using the moment. That’s what we want and we have consolidated between us. If we give our lives, enjoy and find confidence and rigor in our process, we will succeed“, he stressed, in a press conference previewing the decisive meeting of the competition.

The group “is extremely motivated and confident“to complete the “extraordinary journey since August 8”, the date on which the concentration began in Rio Maior, and João Matos guaranteed that it was for these moments that they mentally prepared.

“We have a range of players who have already conquered practically everything and only this one is missing. [título], who thrived in Europe and were European champions in clubs and national teams. It’s not because Argentina are world champions that they have more experienced players,” he stressed.

The 34-year-old Sporting player considers that the match between the quarters and Spain was “the peak” of the team’s journey, catapulting “the emotional state and confidence”, although they fell “a little” in front to Kazakhstan.

“It has been very tough. There were three games in extra time, extremely intense. Nothing will bring us down and, at a moment as great as this, can not take us out of this game “, assumed the Portuguese international on 165 occasions, with 20 goals.

João Matos showed how he sees the film of Sunday’s game: “I want to look a lot at Portugal, keeping in mind Argentina’s constraints and strategy. We take advantage of our opportunities, have a lot of confidence in the process and beat Argentina.”

“These are two teams that have been working extremely well in recent years. We have cemented processes and the peak was in 2018, maintaining a way of working and convinced that this is the right path to triumph. We are now one day away from completing the 58 days we promised ourselves to be all together“he stated.

Asked if this will also be his last World Cup, like Ricardinho, João Matos observed: “As long as I feel active and with protection to continue playing, I will be here. I will never say no to the national team.”

A final of the Futsal World Cup, between Portugal and Argentina, will be played on Sunday, at 20:00 (6:00 pm in Lisbon), at the Zalgiris Arena, in Kaunas, Lithuania, after Brazil and Kazakhstan decide the third and fourth tournament place, starting at 18:00 (16:00 in Lisbon).

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