18 July,2011 08:09 AM IST | | AFP
Despite yesterday's quarter-final exit against Uruguay; coach Sergio Batista says that Argentina's campaign was not a failureu00a0
Argentina coach Sergio Batista denied that Saturday's Copa America quarter-final exit to neighbours Uruguay represented a "failure."
Uruguayan goalkeeper Fernando Muslera (right) stops Argentina forward
Carlos Tevez's penalty kick during Saturday's Copa America quarter-final
in Santa Fe. Argentina lost 4-5 on penalties.
"This is not a failure," insisted Batista after Carlos Tevez's missed penalty sealed a 4-5 shootout defeat following a 1-1 draw after extra-time in Santa Fe. "I would not call it failure -- that is a very strong word. We work to win and I think we really played very well" Batista opined.
But the side failed to take advantage of having an extra man for most of the second half after Uruguay scorer Diego Perez was red-carded late in the first half.
In that second period, "the intensity dropped off, we lost our way," Batista acknowledged. "Today, we did not play badly, we made chances... but we will keep on plugging away to raise our game," said Batista, who took over from Diego Maradona following last summer's World Cup thumping by Germany.
Asked if he might think about stepping down, Batista - a Maradona teammate in the successful 1986 World Cup campaign -- said he wasn't thinking along those lines.
"That is not something going through my head," he said. "Going out hurts, but you have to continue on. My work started five, six months ago. We wanted to win the Copa America, but our objective is the World Cup," he insisted.
