Guimaraes still struggling to forget World Cup penalty miss
Bruno Guimaraes
A missed penalty proved costly for Brazil at this year’s World Cup. If Bruno Guimaraes had not missed that penalty in the quarterfinal, Brazil’s fate might have been different. More than two months after that nightmare match, Guimaraes is still struggling to overcome the mental pressure of the missed penalty.
The memory of Brazil’s World Cup failure remains fresh in Guimaraes’ mind. His missed penalty played an important role in Brazil’s elimination in a 2 1 loss to Norway in the round of 16. He said he suffered for a long time because of the impact of the incident, “It was a terrible feeling. No one is ever fully prepared for something like that to happen. It is a wound that is still very fresh. But it heals with time. It is part of the game.”
However, Guimaraes does not want to see the failure as an obstacle to his development. Instead, he wants to learn from the experience and play better, “I want to learn from my mistakes. We always focus on winning. But usually, we learn the most from defeats and the things that did not go right. That is where I can improve. If there is another penalty tomorrow, I will not hesitate for a moment. If necessary, I will step up to take a penalty a thousand times.”
Guimaraes has also taken on leadership responsibilities as a senior player in the new Brazil team. He wants young players such as Estevao and Gabriel Bontempo to feel comfortable in the squad, “Giving young players confidence is the most important thing. I was first called up to the national team in 2020. At that time the senior players gave me confidence so that I could feel comfortable and play my best football. Now I feel it is my time to take on that responsibility.”
Guimaraes also said the responsibilities of the team’s senior players have increased, “Those of us who are still here from the last World Cup squad, me, Gabriel, Vinicius Junior, Raphinha, Douglas and Marquinhos, have different roles now. We have to lead. Many of the new players are 18, 19 or 20 years old. And I am 28. Standing alongside these guys makes me feel old now.”
