The Ball – ‘These are sincere tears, with a lot of soul’: Ricardo Nascimento was already a darling in Seoul and talks about the victory over Portugal (Korea Republic)

Ricardo Nascimento is probably no longer the most beloved Portuguese in Korea after the feat of Paulo Bento when he managed to finish the qualification of the Asian national team to the round of 16 at the maximum, namely in the victory over Portugal, which also happened in 2002. The former midfielder, now aged The 48-year-old Canedo coach, in the Aveiro district, was a hero during his stint at FC Seoul between 2005-2007, and was given an emotional farewell to the South Koreans, who saw him as a god of the tournament. in those years.

There were tears and an airport storm when he left, as well as cheers that made him the best player in South Korea. Ricardo Nascimento did not lose this match, he followed closely and, even in the midst of the Portuguese defeat, managed to warm his heart with the success and overwhelming joy of many friends.

“I was on the phone with a South Korean friend, I was really delirious. I just laughed…because he was elated scratching something in Portuguese. It was a lot of soul, a lot of desire. A lot of good people doing it, it was a faster victory.” From the voice of the Koreans », praising the better match analysis.

“Portugal entered very strong with good circulation of the ball. Definitely Vitinha is the player that adds more. The team was organized for 20 minutes, and then the Koreans gradually began to balance the game with very fast transfers and managed to equalize before the end of the first half. They managed to organize themselves better in the second half, which was roughly equal to the start of the match. The difference was in speed, Portugal entered better but with a slower turn and the Koreans through their acceleration were trying to surprise. And so they scored the winning goal. I highlight the good positional game they played, along with such transitions ». I pay tribute to Ricardo Nascimento… He gave in to the celebrations to qualify.

“But there is a lot of soulful people there. Something amazing! Sincere tears were commensurate with the joy in the streets.

I was moved to see these celebrations, ”admits the former creator of Boavista and Rio Ave, who does not doubt the success of Portugal.
“They finished first, and that’s the most important thing. They lost the match they could have lost, and Portugal’s future in the competition looks good to me », he explained.