Emotions, the Need to Improve, and Ronaldo: What Roberto Martínez Said

— Was Portugal too weak to win the World Cup? What do you make of Cristiano Ronaldo's attitude at the end of the match?

The World Cup is a tournament where these things happen. There are moments when performances aren't up to par. Remember, in the Qatar World Cup, Argentina lost to Saudi Arabia and then won the World Cup; in 2010, Spain lost to Switzerland and won the World Cup. These weren't performances from teams that looked like winners, but they were. It's a process. I've said before that talking about winning the World Cup is probably an emotion that doesn't help win games.

The hardest part was starting the game well, and we did that. We started very well. The level, the control, the chances created... Scoring the goal, which usually helps maintain control, had the opposite effect. It led to us trying to hold onto the ball, we didn't create enough chances, we allowed DR Congo to reorganize their defensive structure, set up counter-attacks, and we lost a lot of depth — which benefited DR Congo.

The players' attitude was extraordinary. We tried to change our attacking patterns, we created more chances, but not at the level we need and with the quality we possess. We tried until the very end, and there are very important aspects like the attitude and effort of the players, which now allow us to build for the second game. The emotion of winning a World Cup isn't part of the group stage.

Cristiano Ronaldo? It was the first game, and we're not yet accustomed to FIFA's routines. In this World Cup, we have eight players doing flash interviews, and we're not yet used to what to do after the game: go to the locker room, do the flash interview, stay on the pitch. We were all sad, but we'll try to get used to it quickly so we can all act as a united group.

— Is this the best tactical approach for World Cup success, or will you make changes?

We need to improve. We need to be very self-critical when evaluating the game. It's an assessment of 96 minutes. There are moments before the goal, after the goal, when we started the second half, the connections, the spaces we looked for... Every opponent is different. Our responsibility is to evaluate the game, be self-critical, and improve. That's the World Cup group stage process. I understand that the attitude is extraordinary, and I truly believe in what we can achieve.

— What is the role of the striker in Portugal's game?

In our game structure, the striker needs a lot of discipline. That means staying on the defensive line, behind the center-backs, creating space. After the first goal, we didn't reach the final third at the level needed to provide service to the striker or utilize the striker's movements. There are aspects where we need to improve. The striker needs to be close to the goal, but we need to get the ball there. It's important to utilize the players we have. With Francisco Conceição's entry, we reached the final third more often. The space on the defensive line opened up more, and the intention was to use Gonçalo Ramos, but Bruno Fernandes was in a good attacking position.

— How do you explain the national team's offensive pressure? Were there too many crosses?

The game changed after the first goal. Until then, our attacking pattern reached the final third, and we had good link-up play between the central and wide areas. However, after DR Congo scored, it was a different emotion, and decision-making changed. This isn't a game to look at statistics; they weren't good, not at the level we need. But the important thing is to reflect, evaluate, and adjust for the next game.

— What's missing to bring all Portuguese talents together?

Did you follow the team winning the Nations League? The same players performed at a high level. We're talking about the first game of the World Cup; I've already mentioned the responsibility and emotions of playing in a World Cup. When we scored the first goal, those emotions had a negative effect on our performance. We lacked risk-taking, we lacked looking for spaces, we lacked reaching the final third, but it was more a feeling than a technical-tactical aspect. It happens, and it's part of the World Cup.