Coach Cannavaro takes responsibility for Uzbekistan's thumping defeat to Portugal

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cannavaro-fabio/A1CicVEU/"]Cannavaro[/a]’s side are on the brink ‌of elimination at their debut World Cup after they ‌also lost 3-1 to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/colombia/G02s4PCS/"]Colombia[/a] and have a final ‌fixture against the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/d-r-congo/phn9mm8H/"]Democratic Republic of Congo[/a] on Saturday, when victory is a must to keep their hopes of a ‌round-of-32 place alive.[/p][p]“[b]They tried everything, they tried ⁠their best, I am ‌very proud[/b],” Cannavaro told reporters. “[b]We have to keep believing until ​we mathematically cannot go through[/b].”[/p][p]Cannavaro, a World Cup winner with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/italy/hlKvieGH/"]Italy[/a] in 2006, said the blame ​for the defeat must rest with him and not his players.[/p][p]“[b]All my life I have taken responsibility, as ⁠a player and ​as a coach. If we lost 5-0, it is because today I made mistakes, and not them (the players)[/b],” he said.[/p][image alt="Match stats" id="ca1e8d80-ed53-491d-93bf-836ec695353a" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="170dd4c0-8df7-4c88-bd7a-b7558fafa664" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]“[b]This is our first time at the World Cup. ‌I told the players that they can misplace a pass and make mistakes. Because I must give them the confidence to try and improve[/b].”[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/uzbekistan/EZYKKRMc/"]Uzbekistan[/a] were denied a superb goal by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ganiev-azizjon/tzw1ENi0/"]Azizjon Ganiev[/a] at 2-0 when it was disallowed for a foul in the build-up, and Cannavaro admitted that knocked the stuffing out of his team.[/p][p]“[b]The goal that was disallowed really had an ‌impact on our confidence[/b],” he said. “[b]It was a shame ​because we started playing just as we did against ‌Colombia, we were playing boldly[/b]," he said.[/p][p]“[b]I asked them to be more courageous, to play football and not to be afraid. If you have that mindset you can grow as a team and ⁠grow individually[/b].[/p][p]"[b]We are here ⁠to gain experience even ‌if we are to lose[/b].”[/p][infobox id="4ccc1b10-d68f-4c97-bcf4-5e613c17c2e3" /]