Gabriel Milito explains the deeper issue behind Chivas’ 4-1 defeat to Tigres

Gabriel Milito did not hide his frustration after Chivas’ 4-1 loss to Tigres, pointing to a lack of determination from the opening whistle as the first major reason for the collapse. The Guadalajara side traveled to Nuevo León and was soundly beaten, with both the result and the performance leaving the coach clearly dissatisfied.

In his postgame news conference, Milito said his team cannot afford to approach a game with less intensity than its opponent, especially if it wants to contend for a title. He said Tigres started with a level of energy Chivas simply did not match, and made clear that while being outplayed can happen, being second-best in determination cannot.

“The way the game started, I felt they began with more energy than we did. That, clearly, if you want to aspire to big things, cannot happen. Yes, they can outplay you, but when it comes to determination to play and compete in the game, no,” he said.

Although Chivas went behind in the 16th minute, they managed to level the score in the 25th. Still, they went into halftime trailing again at 2-1. At the start of the second half, they tried to change things by bringing on Santiago Sandoval for Miguel Gómez, but Tigres struck almost immediately for a third goal, and from there Chivas never recovered.

The defeat was another setback against one of the teams expected to challenge for the championship in the Liguilla, as had already happened against Cruz Azul and Toluca. Milito did not dwell on the trend, but he admitted it is something the club must take seriously.

“Well, it is a real statistic, losing against three title contenders. On top of that, all three games were away from home, because we have played other big games home and away. I mean América at home, Pumas the other day at home, and Atlas away, which we were able to win. But yes, it is something we need to pay attention to,” he said.

Chivas will close out the regular season against Puebla, Necaxa and Tijuana, looking to strengthen their position at the top of the standings.

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