Giggs admits Great Britain weren't good enough after crashing out on penalties

Posted Monday, August 06, 2012 by Dailymail

Now Ryan Giggs knows what tournament football is really like. On a night when a dream ended in familiar fashion, Team GB’s captain was forced to admit shortcomings after an agonising penalty shootout defeat.

While this nation’s athletes were being spectacularly making history in the Olympic Stadium, the footballers found history being frustratingly repeated as South Korea held their nerve to win 5-4 on spot-kicks after Daniel Sturridge saw his effort saved by Bumyoung Lee.

It meant that there was no dream finale for Giggs, whose glittering career had lacked an appearance at a major tournament, but there was no sense the Manchester United star felt hard done by as he explained Team GB’s quarter-final elimination.

Giggs admits Great Britain weren't good enough after crashing out on penalties
Crashing out on penalties: Ryan Giggs saw Great Britain go out of the Olympics on spot kicks

‘We weren’t good enough’ said Giggs, reflecting on a game that ended 1-1 after 120 minutes. ‘That is the bottom line. Our luck ran out and it could have gone either way. Not going to a tournament with Wales will always be a (personal) disappointment. We were never good enough, it’s simple.

‘But I will look back on this experience with great pride. To captain the Great Britain side has been a privilege. Obviously it is disappointing to have lost like we did but the overall experience has been nothing but positive.’

While the climax to the evening was dramatic, there was a slightly surreal atmosphere at times, as chants of “One Jessie Ennis!” and “One Mo Farah!” broke out, as news filtered through of their achievements in London.

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