Miranda: 'Brazil were unlucky'

Brazil defender Miranda has claimed that his side were unlucky to lose their Copa America quarter-final against Paraguay.

The Selecao were dumped out of the tournament on Saturday evening, after losing on penalties following a 1-1 draw.

It has capped a miserable 12 months at major competitions for the country, following their humiliation at the World Cup last summer, and Miranda has expressed his disappointment at the result.

"It's hard to say anything now," Miranda told SporTV. "It's a moment of sadness. We had a solid perfomance but then we conceded a penalty from an aerial attack and were unfortunate in the shootout.

"The ones who were prepared were chosen to take the shots. But that's the thing with penalties: sometimes you can be ready but still fail to score. The guys were prepared but two failed - it happens.

"The team has been doing well so far. We had big matches, difficult matches, and put in some good performances, although other displays were not quite as good. We have to raise our heads and now look ahead to the World Cup qualifiers. That's the most important thing for us now."

Brazil were also beaten by Paraguay on penalties at the same stage of the 2011 Copa America.