Coach Advocaat says Curacao has nothing to be ashamed of.

Curacao’s World Cup debut ended in a 7‑1 defeat to four‑time champions Germany, but head coach Dick Advocaat said the result was “nothing to be ashamed of.”

The 78‑year‑old, the oldest coach to appear at a World Cup final, had been off the bench when Livano Comenencia’s deflected strike equalised the match at 1‑1. However, Nico Schlotterbeck, Kai Havertz (who scored twice), Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown and Deniz Undav added goals to seal the win for Germany.

“It is not embarrassing to lose like that against such a team,” Advocaat told the post‑match press conference in Houston. “This team (Germany) is worth 850 million and Curacao, 25.”

Curacao, the smallest nation by population to qualify for the tournament, had hoped for a giant‑killing upset, but Advocaat said that was not to be. “They were simply too strong and we gave away too many easy goals,” he added, recalling his experience at the 1994 World Cup in the United States, where he managed the Dutch.

Advocaat returned to the role in February after stepping aside when his daughter fell ill. He said his and his staff’s priority is to restore morale ahead of the next Group E match against Ecuador. “Obviously 7‑1 is a heavy defeat,” he said. “We must make sure no one’s head drops, that they do not remain in a bad state of mind. But I am not too worried about that happening.”

He wiped away tears before the kick‑off and noted that the heavy loss was offset by the “fantastic scenes of happiness in the stands” from the fans known as the ‘Blue Wave.’ “It is already formidable what we achieved in qualifying for the finals,” he said. “And we should be conscious of that. All we need to do is simply show the best of ourselves here.”

Advocaat added that even if Curacao does not cause an upset in the remaining group games – with Ivory Coast scheduled for the final match – the team will still be proud to have competed at the world’s biggest event.

Vanguard News

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