QUOTE SHEET
REAL SALT LAKE 2-1 VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC
RIO TINTO STADIUM; APRIL 7, 2018
Real Salt Lake
Head Coach Mike Petke
On reacting to Vancouver’s counterattack:
“We worked on it all week. How many times did they punt the ball sixty yards in the first half alone to Kamara to play off of him? We worked on it all week—having good shape, reacting to the pressure on the ball, knowing they’re sending it long, and getting behind and around for winning second balls. They’re a very dangerous team like that. Plus a couple in the back, especially in the second half, got the ball wide a number of times and whipped them across to some pretty good boys. They’re effective in what they do. For one thing, the effort in the defensive structure was there tonight. I’m proud of the guys for that.”
On the offensive opportunities:
“If I’m being very honest in assessing the team five games in, I don’t like the way we’re playing with the ball. I don’t think a lot of the players do. We’re wondering what’s going on here? When did we stop playing? When did we stop having ideas? From last year and from preseason this year, it seems to be a little bit of a confidence thing. When we’re clicking, our front four especially, we’re a pretty damn fun team to watch. But it’s been few and far between this year, so far, so we’re looking to get back to the way we know how to play. But hey, we won 2-1.”
On Albert’s possession in the first half:
“We talk a lot every week, throughout the week, and before the game about recognizing when to go full force in the transition, which we’re pretty good at. But also recognizing when that’s not on, and pulling it out and possessing it. It wasn’t a tactical thing. I wasn’t yelling at Albert from the sideline, ‘hold the ball, let’s get everybody forward.’ Albert’s a smart player, and I think he took that upon himself. We have to do better in recognizing when to possess the ball, especially at home. If we get tired, get them moving a little bit. As far as going full force has a 20-30% success rate of getting an opportunity.”
On how to continue creating opportunities for shots on goal:
“Practice. We practice four days a week, so we’re going to practice on that for sure.”
On the defensive substitutions creating sloppy passes:
“If I look back and look at the past, I could say that could have an effect. But I thought that Adam and David held it pretty well, I honestly do. I thought David brought a presence, with Kamara especially. Once we got into the rhythm, after 5 or 10 minutes, I thought they did very well. We watch a lot of video after the games. We talk a lot about preparation for the games throughout the week. If you would have told me that Justen Glad would struggle with the ball at times, as he has this year, I wouldn’t have believed it. Every player goes through something. Every team goes through something. They’re good players, but everyone goes through certain things. We’ve really been trying to focus on defensive structure, getting behind the ball, and then playing from there. You look at the New York game, and you look at this game tonight, these guys aren’t putting that effort in. Now we have to remember how we played out of that last year. So we’ll get there.”
On the mental wear of matching on a tough player:
“The defender’s job is to mark the player, keep the ball out of the goal, and away from the goalkeeper. And then in transition, be able to start our attack and build the ball out of the back. It doesn’t always work out that way. Even in games, there’s always ebbs and flows, peaks and valleys. Justen and our defenders have done some very good stuff almost every game. We’ve been getting to a more consistent level. And we also have to look ahead of that—who’s moving and where are they moving to? How active are they with the ball? Again, most teams that come in here, they get behind the ball, and they make it difficult in transitions. It’s five games in, we’re 2-2-1 now, we have 29 games left to go, so we’re not panicking or worrying. We just won 2-1, so we’re going to rejoice in that for the moment. We a tough game, a quick turn around against NYC on a small field against a very talented team. We’re going to prepare for that, but like I said, look to get back to the way we know how to play.”
On making a change in mentality:
“Our mentality was very good tonight. With two guys going out and two guys coming in, they had mental fortitude. And for the rest of the team to continue to work with a switch like that, I thought was very good.”
On how losing two defenders changed his strategy:
“It didn’t change our strategy at all. That’s why we train throughout that week. That’s why we have everybody at trainings, starters and nonstarters. The only thing it changed was when Henley entered the game, it was ‘take 5 minutes, get a touch on the ball, settle in, don’t do anything too crazy. Just let the game come to you.’ And the same thing with David. Once that happened, it didn’t change much. It didn’t change the way we wanted to play.”
On Corey Baird as a starter:
“Before tonight I think he had 23 minutes as a pro. We got him on against New York, and then against Toronto he scored a goal. Every day in work, Corey possesses the characteristics of the type of player and person that I gravitate towards. He is an honest, hard-working, talented player. It’s not all just about hard work and strong mentality. You have to have the ability to play with the ball. And he has all that. I want to bring more of him, I have to bring more of him. I thought he did very well tonight. I thought the assist at the end of the game came off of a great transition. Does this mean that Corey is going to start every game? No, I don’t even know if he’s going to start in our game in four days. Does that mean he’s arrived or that he’s the real deal? No, it means that he’s earned through training every week and preseason and 23 minutes over two games of coming off the bench. He’s earned the right to start, and that’s why he started today.”
Forward Luis Silva
On disrupting Vancouver’s tactics:
“A lot of movement off the ball. We did a good job of sharing the defensive workload and frustrating them which worked out at the end of the day.”
On the differences between taking opportunities to shoot vs Toronto and Vancouver:
“If I have the opportunity I’m going to shoot, unfortunately in Toronto I did not have it. We did a lot of running sometimes it pays off sometimes it doesn’t. Today was one of those days where moving off the ball creates that space and tonight I had three chances. I put one of those away and I’ll take that any day.”
On playing through a chippy 2nd half:
“That’s football, you know they are going to hit and we are going to hit. Unfortunately, we don’t get the calls we deserve but that is out of our control. We just have to keep playing and keep pounding as a team.”
On RSL’s front four interchanging positions:
“I think we take what the other team gives us. If I have to stay up top to disturb the two center backs I will do that. Today we did a good job of shifting around to create space for other players. Every game is different we’ll have to see how New York plays.”
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Midfielder Efrain Juarez
On the game:
“It’s disappointing you know? I thought we played really good. In the final third we had a lot of chances, a lot of crosses to make the difference in the first half - in the second half as well. At the end, the quality wasn’t so good in the last third of the pitch. I’m disappointed because at the end, we had the ball, we tried to score the whole game. They just wanted to defend and counter attack it, maybe shoot two or three times, and two was what they scored. We need to be more clear on the last back two. Normally those kinds of games, we need to win at the end. We can make to get the three points. So I’m really disappointed because we worked so hard and we go home with empty hands.”
On team effort:
“We really played like we were planned it during the week. We just need to be more calm on the final third, because we had a lot of chances in the first half to score or try to get a better cross, but we didn’t do it. At the end, we are really disappointed for that because we tried to get to the three points. We really worked hard. Now in the locker room, we’re without answers. When you play we try to score all 90 minutes and in two plays, and they scored two goals. We need to keep working, we need to keep looking forward. At the end, we need to really learn about these kinds of games and hopefully, in the next game, we can get three points at home.”
On next game at home:
“We are really excited. I think it’s going to be a full house. Hopefully they can enjoy, and hopefully we can give them a very good match and the victory.”
Midfielder Felipe
On the game:
“You always have to take the positives from the game and learn from our mistakes. I think we just need to be a little bit more clinical in the final third and be strong defensive as a group. We need to work very hard to not to try to concede two goals. There were those moments we had control of the game, and we had some chances to go down and score. We just need to be more clear and clinical in the final third.”
On giving up a goal at the end of the first half:
“As always, you want to play well and win games. The most important thing is to learn from this, and work very hard towards a hard game against LAFC at home. It was a positive performance, but they got the two points. Now it’s working hard to get back home.”
On playing at home:
“It’s always nice to play at home. Everyone gets there and gets positive about this group. We have a very strong group, and we are going to grow into the season and get better and better.”
