Indian Super League (ISL) membership FC Goa assistant coach Clifford Miranda stated he was “very proud” of his boys despite the team’s 0-2 loss to top Emirati side Al Wahda in the last AFC Champions League group stage match here. A severely depleted FC Goa fielded an all-Indian outfit in the playing XI after chief coach Juan Ferrando and all overseas players were asked to fly back home in view of the travel restriction imposed by European and other countries with regard to travellers from Covid-ravaged India. “It is always difficult when you don’t have players who have been playing regularly for the past few games. However, it was an opportunity for the other players,” Miranda stated on Friday.
FC Goa accomplished their Group E engagements, shedding three video games — two to Iran’s FC Persepolis and one to Al Wahda. The prime ISL outfit drew the remaining three video games — two to Qatar’s Al Rayyan and one to Al Wahda.
The ISL facet couldn’t make it to the AFC Champions League knockout stage of the highest continental match after ending third in the four-team Group E.
“I’m very pleased with these gamers that they performed extraordinarily nicely, they performed to their most. Maybe with a little bit little bit of luck right here and there, we might have gotten a outcome however then we had been up in opposition to one of many higher groups in Asia who’re a number of ranges above us,” added Miranda.
The assistant coach said that though Spanish tactician Juan Ferrando was absent, the team followed their head coach’s plans to a tee.
“To be honest, it was nothing different. We had a set plan made by Juan. As the boss, he makes the plan, and on the field both of us execute it and it was the same thing on Thursday. He made a plan and I just had to execute it and that was not difficult. The difficult part was to play matches every two days.”
FC Goa performed six video games in 16 days, leaving a lot of their prime overseas recruits injured or exhausted.
The 38-year-old Miranda stated that ending third with three factors (after three attracts) in opposition to a few of the greatest continental sides was not a foul outcome.
“When the draw was introduced, who would have thought that FC Goa will end third in the group and have three factors? Nobody gave us an opportunity enjoying in opposition to final season’s runners-up Persepolis FC, Al Rayyan and Al Wahda.
“But credit score to the boys for doing such a implausible job with so many difficulties. We have been in the bubble for the previous seven months. It is a implausible efficiency by the gamers and the credit score should go to Juan in addition to the membership for making this step in the premier match in Asia,” stated Miranda.
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