SOCHI, Russia -- Mexico striker Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez said he was "sad" at his team's 4-1 loss to Germany in the Confederations Cup on Thursday, but stated that he was "proud" with what the team has achieved at the tournament.
Mexico finished second in Group A, but fell to the world champions following two early goals and will now face Portugal in the third-place playoff on Sunday in Moscow.
"[I feel] sad, disillusioned, but with my head held high and proud of all from team, the coaching staff and the fans," the Bayer Leverkusen striker said after the match in Sochi.
Hernandez refused to follow coach Juan Carlos Osorio in saying the 4-1 result wasn't fair to a Mexican side that had over double the number of shots than Germany and dominated possession.
"If football was about justice, it'd be a different story. That's not to demerit what Germany did or to give an excuse," said the former Manchester United man.
"The only thing in our heads is that we are sad. Nobody wants to lose like that, in a semi. We really wanted to reach the final."
"But that is football," he continued. "We went up against the world champion and it's been useful for Mexican football to know where we are."
Hernandez said the Mexican national team needs to keep going on the same track under Osorio and highlighted that El Tri has gone further in this Confederations Cup than four years ago, when Mexico went out at the group stage.
"We are playing the European champion in the third-place playoff, which is something we didn't reach four years ago, so something is improving," he said.
"We're going step by step, it's not night and day."