Palmeiras Coach Abel Ferreira Vows To Fight Until The End For Club World Cup Dream

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Palmeiras head coach Abel Ferreira expressed determination to pursue their dream after securing a spot in the Club World Cup quarter-finals. In a tense all-Brazilian final against Botafogo, Palmeiras emerged victorious with a 1-0 win after extra time. Ferreira's team controlled the first half but lacked clear chances, which changed after the break with Estevao Willian and Mauricio testing Botafogo's goalkeeper John.

Despite no goals in regular time, John made another crucial save early in extra time from Richard Rios' powerful shot. However, he couldn't stop Paulinho's precise low shot in the 100th minute. Gustavo Gomez received a red card in the 116th minute for a second yellow card, yet Palmeiras held firm against Botafogo's late pressure.

"Never give up, never give in. All the time, we work for this," Ferreira stated. He praised his players for their efforts and noted that if they played like they trained, the game would improve over previous performances. "I would like to say thank you to my players for all their efforts," he added. "We had an amazing game."

Ferreira acknowledged the team's collective effort during challenging moments, especially when playing with one less player. "When we needed to suffer, we suffered together with one player less," he said. The coach emphasized their hard work and commitment to achieving their goal: "We deserve it because we work a lot."

The match between Palmeiras and Botafogo marked the second game at this year's Club World Cup without any shots on target before half-time, both involving Palmeiras (also against Al Ahly). Paulinho became the second player to score as a substitute multiple times in this tournament, joining Wallace Yan of Flamengo.

"A lot of emotions... a really tough game against a really competitive team," Paulinho remarked. He anticipated that extra time would slow down the game's pace and saw it as an opportunity to change its flow. Despite dealing with injury pain, he viewed this as another step forward in the Club World Cup journey.

Looking Ahead to Chelsea Clash

Palmeiras will face Chelsea in the quarter-finals on Friday. The team remains focused on maintaining their momentum and continuing their pursuit of success in the tournament.

Their journey so far highlights their resilience and determination to achieve their dreams despite challenges along the way.