Ireland manager Mick McCarthy said that Ireland should have clinched their World Cup second round game over Spain in extra-time before going out on penalties.
"Their performance in the penalty shootout was poor. We did not deserve it in the end," he said after he saw his side go agonisingly close to a first place in the quarter-finals since 1990.
"We deserved to win in normal time though and it's sickening," he added.
"We're going out of the tournament unbeaten."
McCarthy said his players had adapted their strategy throughout the tournament after losing captain Roy Keane who was thrown out following a row with the coach.
"It's worked for us and the players have adapted and been flexible. They are a wonderful bunch of people and I'm thrilled to have worked with them.
"We have had a wonderful World Cup. We would have loved to have gone through to the quarter-finals. I have admiration for all those players. There's no criticism from me at all."
"We are going out of the tournament unbeaten," said McCarthy of the loss on penalties.
"If we had got through this who knows, we could have been a potential winner. It shows you what we are all about."