Doha, Dec 6: South Korea manager Paulo Bento said he would take time to consider his future after his team’s 4-1 loss to Brazil in the World Cup round of 16 on Tuesday. The 53-year-old, who took charge of the Asian team in 2018, said he would meet with the Korean football federation officials after an indefinite break. “We have to think about the future and whether or not I will be with the Korean team,” the Portuguese coach said. “I will rest. I have to thank them (the players) for everything they have done. They have given us their best. I have been very proud to be their manager.” South Korea reached the World Cup knockout stage for only the third time here after a late Hwang Hee-chan strike saw them defeat Portugal in their last group-stage encounter. But their hopes of progressing to the quarterfinals evaporated quickly at Stadium 974 on Monday as Brazil scored four goals in the first 36 minutes to effectively put the result beyond doubt before halftime.
“It’s not easy to summarize what has happened in the World Cup,” Bento said. “I can only tell you about our participation which ended today. I believe it has ended in a very fair manner. We have to congratulate Brazil because they were better than us.
“What we did do in this World Cup is something that can make us proud. In the group stage we could have scored more points. Against Ghana we could have and should have won.
“We were very bold in the way we approached these games. We were loyal to our style from beginning to end. For that reason I’m very proud. If it wasn’t the best group I’ve worked with, it’s undoubtedly one of the best groups I’ve had the opportunity to work with.”
