Delhi Dynamos FC played out a 1 – 1 draw against Chennaiyin FC in Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2017-18 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi on Sunday. Kalu Uche gave Delhi the lead with his penalty, but once again the Lions were undone from a set-piece as Mailson Alves headed home Rene Mihelic’s free-kick to equalise late on.

Addressing the media during the post-match press conference was Delhi’s head coach Miguel Portugal and he once more highlighted his team’s frailties from dead-ball situations. “We play well but we always hand one goal from a set piece,” the Spaniard stated. “We train to get organised from a set-piece situation. But, it is a problem with the individuals; their quality and their mentality.”

He, however, lauded the players in his team during the match, most of whom were talented youngsters. “Today we played with a young team,” Portugal said. “They are all good, neat players. We created lot of chances. The motivation is the same. My players enjoy playing and try winning the matches.”

While the 62-year-old was happy with his team’s performance, he was critical about conceding from a free-kick. “I am happy because my team played good football and tried to win,” Portugal remarked. “But, it is very difficult when you are 1 – 0 or 2 – 0 up and lose the match. But, we know where our problem is. It’s the set piece. It is a challenge for us.”

Before signing off, Delhi’s head coach revealed, “I told my players to play good football. For us, every match is a final because qualification (for the playoffs) is not possible anymore. For us, it is to enjoy playing football and try and win the match. We have some young players who are very good for the future. In future, Delhi Dynamos FC will be a good team.”