"We must admit that they were better than us, while we didn't play a good match, especially in defense and counterattack." Julio Velasco didn't look for excuses after Italy's defeat to Brazil in the Nations League semifinal. "On the court we certainly showed determination, but perhaps there wasn't enough clarity to resolve certain technical situations," added the Italian national team coach, finding himself commenting on his team's first defeat after successes at the Olympics, the World Championships, and a double Nations League title.
"It's not a cliché to say that certain defeats teach you more than a victory, because I believe that sooner or later we would have found ourselves in this situation," added the Argentine coach. "Now we need to be able to react and play a good match tomorrow, because there are some things we can improve right away while others still need to be worked on with an eye to the future. That said, tomorrow we will need a much more precise performance than the one we put in today."
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