Captain Diego Godin lauds Uruguay 'lions', exonerates goalkeeper

Uruguay captain Diego Godin praised his teammates as lions after reaching the World Cup quarter-finals but falling 2-0 to France.

Uruguay's Diego Godin heads the ball during the quarterfinal match between Uruguay and France at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium. | AP

NIZHNY NOVGOROD: Uruguay captain Diego Godin praised his teammates as "lions" after reaching the World Cup quarter-finals but falling 2-0 to France, and said goalkeeper Fernando Muslera's error for the second goal should be forgiven.

“I’m proud of my teammates - they were lions,” Godin said, as he and the Uruguay players came off the pitch in tears.

“We are a team where everyone gives everything in the matches and in preparation. I have only words of gratitude for my teammates,” he added, as Uruguay’s noisy fans cheered them off at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium despite the defeat.

France won with a Raphael Varane glancing header in the first half and a goalkeeping fumble in the second that gifted Antoine Griezmann a soft goal. Griezmann shot from outside the box straight at Muslera, who attempted to palm the ball away but instead deflected it into the net.

“Fernando is a great goalkeeper ... We all make mistakes,” Godin said. “On other occasions he has rescued us with incredible saves.”

Uruguay suffered without striker Edinson Cavani, who was ruled out with a calf injury.

France’s win set up a semi-final with either Brazil of Belgium.