Cannavaro: DR Congo Match Will Be Easier After Colombia and Portugal

Italian football legend Fabio Cannavaro, whose playing career far outstrips the collective experience of his Uzbekistan squad at the World Cup, is working to shield his players from the immense pressure inherent in the sport's biggest tournament. As they prepare for their final Group K match against DR Congo, he has cautioned them to be ready to endure hardship.

The Central Asian team has suffered two losses so far, against Colombia and Portugal, conceding eight goals. Even a convincing victory in their third match might not be enough to advance to the next stage. DR Congo secured a point against Portugal, giving them a better chance to progress with a win, but Saturday's clash has been on Cannavaro's mind for a while. Primarily because it represents the most realistic opportunity for the debutants to earn their first World Cup points.

“They have experienced players, they play a very physical game, and they are certainly stronger than us. Even when the draw was made and the teams were revealed, it was clear that facing Portugal and Colombia would be very difficult for us, because we know the class of their players in every aspect,” Cannavaro stated at his press conference.

“Against DR Congo tomorrow, I expect a different kind of match, also because we’ve already shed some of the burden after facing those two big teams,” Cannavaro calmly remarked. He chuckled when asked if he knew everything about stress in major tournaments, having captained Italy to World Cup glory in 2006.

“From day one, I’ve tried to alleviate the pressure on the players. I was fortunate enough to play at a certain level, and when the draw came out, I knew the difficulties we would face. That’s why, from the first day of this tournament, I’ve always tried to remove that pressure from the players. Because the pressure at the World Cup is incredible. Tomorrow, there will certainly be moments where we will have to endure, and if we are not prepared for that, we will always encounter difficulties,” the former central defender continued.

He takes the 0-5 defeat to Portugal just as calmly: “I try to reassure them and make them look at things more optimistically. I told them that it’s not every day you get hit on the counter-attack by Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo. It happened, it’s in the past, now we need to focus on the match against DR Congo. Because from the moment the draw was announced, we all knew that the match against DR Congo could prove decisive for us.”