REAL SALT LAKE 2(3)-2(1) WILMINGTON HAMMERHEADS
RIO TINTO STADIUM; JUNE 14, 2016
FOURTH ROUND; LAMAR HUNT U.S. OPEN CUP
Real Salt Lake
Head Coach Jeff Cassar
On Wilmington’s speed perhaps catching them off guard:
“To be honest they didn’t do anything that we weren’t ready for. I told the guys, we showed the guys how hard working that team is. Have to give a lot of credit to Wilmington. Their coach did a great job preparing them. It took us 45 minutes to get our heads out of our butts and start to take this game seriously. That really surprises me because that is not how I would have anticipated that we would have started the game.”
On what Plata brought to the game:
“Listen when defenders fear the attacking players they win the psychological battle. We have to be more threatening. They started to impose their will on us in the first half and once we made some changes the tides changed and we became much more aggressive. Here and there Wilmington sniffed the net. But we were really aggressive and played at a speed that they couldn’t handle. But in the first half it was pedestrian, it was unacceptable.”
On the pairing of Mulholland and Stertzer:
“I thought it was pretty good. I thought the urgency in the second half was better. Luke was pushing forward and John was holding which brought a nice bit of balance. The first half it was just too slow. It was too predictable and that is not what we talked about. We talked about playing at a pace that they couldn’t handle. We had practiced that way, we didn’t start that way. I’m going to have to talk to some players and see what exactly was going on because I would never have anticipated that. We were trying to play too many little combinations in the middle of the field. Our scouting report was that they hunt the ball in the middle of the field. We needed to use the width around the edges and make them pay. In the second it was good but I felt it could have been better.”
On the clean and tidy shootout:
“Jeff has a presence in the goal. Him going the right way even when the guy shot it over the bar plays into and leads to the save that he made. It was beautiful. Our penalties were very sharp and on. Their goalkeeper made a very nice save on Javier. But I really like the attitude that our guys had. They wanted to take PK’s. Then we had to make the decision on the order and I liked the order that we had.”
On the lethargy in the early game:
“The answer right now is ‘I don’t know.’ Everyone knew the importance. We wanted to come out very aggressive. It was our first game at home in a long time and there was a trophy on the line. So we never anticipated that. That’s something that myself and the staff have to look at. I just spoke to the team and said, ‘I love the response after halftime, but we have to learn,’ because in a big MLS game, that could have gotten worse.”
On juggling a congested schedule and player time:
“I think that we will be fine. It’s about taking care of your bodies right now. We are going to get as much done on the field as we possibly can. But a lot of the work is going to be done off the field and making sure that these guys are taking care of their bodies. Massages, cold tubs, the whole nine yards. That is going to be a massive part of what they are doing because it’s getting hotter, we’ve got two games for the next three weeks and I’m not sure where the next Open Cup game is. We’ll sit down with the coaching staff and reevaluate because these kinds of games change it a little bit.”
Goalkeeper Jeff Attinella
On advancing in the tournament:
“That’s all you can really ask for obviously. Things didn’t start out the way we wanted them to, but we are coming off of a really long break so everything’s not going to be as sharp as we were hoping. But, an unbelievable fight. That’s the type of result that I think will carry us later in the year when the other guys can rally like that, and put something together and come out and win. That’s a good thing.”
On having Plata and Movsisyan coming off the bench:
“Plata and Yura made a huge difference. Plata’s goal was an absolute banger. Our big players stepped up when we needed them. We were down 2-0 and they got the job done, and luckily we got the ‘W’ in penalties.”
On fighting for the result:
“I think the first one was huge. The first goal that we gave up, none of us were happy with. And the second one took a really bad deflection. So it is kind of like we put our heads down for a bit but we responded really well and once that first goal went in the 2-0 lead is super dangerous and we were able to get the second one I think we felt pretty confident.”
On saves at the end of extra time and the shootout:
“Any time I get to play in a game it’s a great thing and to make a couple of great saves, it feels good. I like being out on the field, and any chance I want to really do my best. I was obviously happy with the way it turned out, but for starters we don’t want to be in the 2-0 hole that’s something we have to correct first of all.”
Defender Chris Wingert
On taking the winning shot in the PK shootout:
“As far as the shot I just knew where I wanted to go. I tried to be patient with it, and tried to give the goalie enough time to get out of the way, and that was it. I always like to shoot, and we had a chance to go into PK’s, so I asked Jeff right away and they put me in the five.”
On the game:
“We obviously put ourselves in a bit of a hole and we weren’t happy in the first half, unlucky with the deflection, but stuff happens and credit to the guys for hanging in there, and two great goals. I mean, what a rip by Plata and then a great goal by Burrito, so hung in there and not ideal to play 120 minutes when we got a game on the weekend, but that’s ok. We’re fit. It will test our depth a little bit, but I think we have a deep team and it’s just about taking care of our bodies and get ready for Saturday now.”
On defending Austin Martz:
“I was more worried about us. Not to take anything away from him, because he’s a good player. We were definitely more concerned about us. It felt like the only times they were getting any chances were when we’re losing the ball. We felt like if we made some more simple passes and were a little bit sharper that we were going to take the game to them. Maybe when we were pushing on, but I don’t remember them late in the second half giving us too much trouble. I think it was more when we were giving the ball up and we just need to get a little bit better, and I thought we did that in the second half.”
On the spark from Plata:
“It’s not a surprise, I mean the guy is probably one of the MVP’s at this point this early in the season. He’s been amazing for us and he has just so much confidence and it kind of just exudes out of him and it rubs off on the other guys, so great for him coming in and giving us a spark plug. And of course goals change games. He had a banger and that was the first of us really getting going and the crowd got into it and we started putting our foot on the gas a little.”
On Wilmington’s performance:
“I don’t want to take anything away from them, but at the same time I really feel like it was just us losing the ball in bad situations. I still felt like we were in their half for most of the first 45. Just weren’t quite as sharp as we needed to be. But credit to them. They’re a hard working team. We knew that going into the match.”
Wilmington Hammerheads
Head Coach Mark Briggs
Overall thoughts:
“It’s hard to take right now. Our performance, our shape against a very good MLS team, I thought we should’ve gotten more out of the game. To miss the clear-cut chances that we did hurts. I’m proud of their performance, proud of their effort and the work rate that put in and I can’t ask for any more. It’s just a hard way to lose.”
On the team’s shape during the match:
“We’ve been working on when we don’t have the ball getting into our shape nice and quick and putting initial pressure on the ball. We did that well tonight. The transition when we lose the ball to gaining our shape was quick which was good. And we broke very well at times on the counter attack. The boys did exactly what was asked of them and I can’t ask for anything more, just disappointing right now.”
On travel-heavy legs:
“We’ve been as good as we can about looking after our bodies. Making sure we recover properly and take care of ourselves. So it’s just a case of making sure we take care of our bodies so that we can perform the way we did tonight.”
Forward Austin Martz
Overall thoughts:
“It was the best that we could’ve asked for. I thought we started well and maintained our shape really well. I thought we were compact. They had some time on the ball but they expected that, we expected them to play but I thought we did a good job of getting an early goal. I think we could’ve even had two. To get the second one put us in even higher spirits then they just battled the whole way back in an awesome atmosphere.”
On the team’s defensive shape:
“For us it was just picking our moments when to be safe and when to be risky. We talked about staying together before the game and staying compact and we made a few slight changes but we talked about when we get the ball we want to keep it and go forward. I think we were really organized tonight and I think that was one of our better defensive performances during a 65-minute period.”
Midfielder Mael Corboz
On his goal:
“It is something that we’ve had going all year. Austin [Martz] is so fast he always gets to the end-line and he has the brain too to see when the cutback is on. As a number eight, not really an attacking man or defensive man I have to make that run. He played it perfect and I snuck it past the keeper.”
On the team’s shape:
“I think anytime a team like us as talented as we can be for a USL team, whenever we play an MLS team we have to keep our shape and sit back a little bit. They had some incredible players that still exposed us but for the most part especially in the first half we did a really good job of not getting broken down. It’s difficult when you’re leading 2-0 and they come back and tie it. It happens and they scored some unbelievable goals.”
