Clifford Miranda: The small details made the difference

The tactician pointed out that the away goal will be crucial in the second leg.

Chennaiyin FC emerged victorious over FC Goa after a brilliant second half performance saw the Marina Machans' beat the Gaurs 4-1. Goa started the game missing two of their key players in Hugo Boumous and Brandon Fernandes. After defending well during the first half, the Gaurs couldn’t seem to control Chennaiyin’s relentless attack in the second. A crucial away goal scored by Saviour Gama towards the end of the game will give the team a slight ray of hope to battle it out in the second leg at home. [KH_ADWORDS type="4" align="center"][/KH_ADWORDS] FC Goa interim head coach Clifford Miranda shared his thoughts after his side's loss. “We had our chances, they had theirs. It was just Chennaiyin capitalized on their chances. I believe our team was compact, good and we did well, but it was the small details that made the difference." Despite losing 4-1, Miranda choose to see the bright side of the loss and believes his team is capable of doing the unthinkable. “The goal that we scored gives us a fighting chance in the second leg. It’s going to be difficult, but I believe if there’s any team that can do it, its this set of players who can overcome.” https://youtu.be/noVE1h0qjQ4

WATCH: Match Highlights – Chennaiyin FC 4-1 FC Goa

Having lost two very important players for the first leg, the tactician stressed that he would prefer to have them in the squad for the second game. “I would like to have all my players available for the return leg." “Boumous was sick, as a result he could not travel. Brandon had a minor problem, so we thought it would be better to give him a few days of rest and give him a chance of playing in the second leg.” Asked about the change in the style of play which seemed to be evident, as the side were missing their key midfielders, he said, “It’s a team game and individuals make a difference. We got it right until they scored the first goal. As far as both players are concerned, they are fantastic players, but the ones who went out there did a good job for us.” “It’s the semi-final, we tried to play our natural game. It’s just that the momentum of the game took us in a different direction." “The small details made the difference and it started with the set-piece. First half we defended very well. It’s the nature of the game, you can never predict 100%, especially about set-pieces. The momentum shifted their way when they got the lead." [KH_RELATED_NEWS title="Related News | ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW"][/KH_RELATED_NEWS] FC Goa are not new to winning with big margins and they would certainly hope to do so in the second leg, as they look to overturn a three-goal deficit at the Fatorda. “Credit to my players who kept fighting, went along till the last minute. We were unlucky not to get the second goal, 4-2 would have been a fair reflection of the match. But then, I will take 4-1 and we’ll see how it goes in the second leg," concluded Clifford Miranda.