In the semi-final of the Olympic Women's Football, the Spanish women's football team lost to the Brazilian women's football team with 2-4 and unfortunately did not reach the final. After the match, Paredes, the captain of the Spanish women's soccer team who scored an oolong goal, was interviewed. She faced the loss with honesty and bravery, and at the same time expressed her outlook for the future.
Paredes began by talking about the oval goal she scored, stating, "I know you guys like to find scapegoats, but I'm not going to let you put me there. The oval goal wasn't a rebound from an opposing striker, it was a mistake we made on defense. We are here to face winning and losing together, there have been all sorts of mistakes and good things done. We lost today and we have to learn to accept defeat."
She further emphasized the importance of the team, saying that the team had both shortcomings and highlights in the game, but the most important thing is to learn from the defeat. Meanwhile, Paredes also pointed out some of the unfairness in the game, such as opponents stalling and faking injuries, but none of these can be used as an excuse for the team's loss. She said, "It's frustrating to fight against unfair rules, but what we can do is focus on playing good soccer and doing what we need to do, and that's what we should focus on."
Speaking on the specifics of the game, Paredes was blunt: "It was a very difficult moment, we didn't play well, it wasn't a good game. Their first goal gave them momentum ...... we didn't have the fluency and we didn't create chances ...... they played the game they wanted to play and scored." She believes that the team made a lot of mistakes in the game and were not able to capitalize on their chances, which was the main reason for the loss.
However, Paredes was not discouraged. She said, "The tournament was played over a few days and was physically demanding, as we already knew, and it was the same for the girls. It's normal to not be at your best, but the team was in pretty good shape. We did some good things, but we also allowed our opponents a lot of chances. It's bad now, but in a few hours we have to pick ourselves up because we are fighting for the bronze medal." She emphasized that the team still has a bronze medal fight ahead of them and that they have to adjust their mentality and form as soon as possible to be ready for the upcoming matches.
