FC Goa slumped to a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Chennaiyin FC in the first leg of their Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) 2019-20 semi-final clash at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai on Saturday. The result leaves Goa with an uphill task in the second leg next Saturday, if they are to progress to the final.

At the post-match press conference, Goa’s interim coach Clifford Miranda summarised the contest and said, “We had our chances. They had theirs. It was just that they capitalised on their chances. I believe the team was compact, was good. Small details sometimes make the difference. We were right up there. The players who went out on the pitch, they did a good job.”

“In the first half we defended very well. Sometimes it is the nature of the game. When they got the lead, the momentum shifted their way. Credit to my players who kept on fighting. We were unlucky to not get the second goal. 4-2 would have been a fair reflection of the game. We will see how it goes in the second leg. The goal that we scored gives us a fighting chance for the second leg. It’s going to be very, very difficult. We are up against a very, very good team. But if there is any team that can do it, it is us,” he added.

Miranda also noted that he hadn’t tweaked his tactics too much for the match. “It’s a semi-final. We tried to play our natural game. It is just sometimes that the momentum of the game takes us in a different direction. We did try to play our natural game. It’s just that the momentum of the game which took us in a different direction,” he stated.

He also revealed why midfield duo Hugo Boumous and Brandon Fernandes weren’t in the squad for the match. “I would like to have all my players available for the second leg. Boumous is sick. Brandon has some minor problems. So, we thought it would be better to give him a few more days of rest,” he reported.

Read the Match Report here.