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#2 A moment of brilliance
Thapa’s goal was a deflected one, there’s no doubt about that. He was intending to cross the ball for CK Vineeth who was waiting at the far post.
But that shouldn’t take away from what came before the goal – a moment of inventiveness from Thapa as he chested down the ball inside the box, saw no options, went on to complete a swift turn that left his defender for dead to create that bit of space.
It was the moment of invention that the game had been calling out for as until then Chennaiyin had been largely pedestrian in the attacking third.
If you’re wondering why Thapa was receiving the ball wide on the left inside the box in the first place, it had to do with a tactical change employed just a few minutes prior. John Gregory had introduced Isaac Vanmalsawma to play in midfield as the passing mid and pushed Thapa out wide on the left in an attempt to gain more traction in attack.
Without Augusto, the onus is largely on Thapa to create for this side. Gregory might need to unearth options to help out his young star if Chennaiyin aspire to get past stiffer tests in future.
