Quote Sheet
San Jose Earthquakes 2-1 Real Salt Lake
October 1, 2016; Avaya Stadium
Real Salt Lake
Head Coach Jeff Cassar
On what the team has to do to bounce back:
“Taking our opportunities. At the end of the day they had a little bit of the lion’s share of opportunities and made one great save. We had the lion’s share of the opportunity (in the second half) and ended up losing 2-1 on a set play. We have to finish our chances. It doesn’t matter if it’s one or 10, we have to take those chances, and someone has to step up and finish it out. It’s not enough right now. That’s concerning that no one’s stepping up.”
On if the message has been relayed to the team:
“It’s been relayed. It’s not rocket science. I thought we played a very good game in the second half. Once we sorted out what they were doing in the first half, we took that away, and then the second half was ours. But we talked before the game and at halftime that in tight games it’s certain plays. It’s set plays 90 percent of the time and finishing your opportunities, and we didn’t do either.”
On if the team was aware of the potential to clinch a playoff berth:
“We can’t clinch anything if we don’t put away our opportunities and then stop simple plays that we’re in control of. That should have never happened. Silly foul, poor marking, poor goal. It’s just a poor play and that concerns me. Poor plays are hurting us. Not poor play, but poor plays.”
On losing to the San Jose Earthquakes:
“We’re extremely disappointed. It’s a team that’s fighting for their life and pretty much out of the playoffs. I give a lot of credit to Dom (Kinnear) and his team for fighting, but you have to put those teams out. We’ve now had losses to teams that are basically out of the playoffs, and that’s unacceptable. It’s not a recipe for being successful once you get into the playoffs. We have to do better. I think our players understand it. Now you have to execute it and actually do it. We’re doing it for about 80 percent and playing the price for the 20 where we’re making mistakes.”
On the benefits of the upcoming bye week:
“It will be beneficial for one purpose and that’s to get people healthy. Eight-five percent of somebody and then they play 80 percent, that’s not good enough. Everyone of our players needs to be at 100 percent and playing at 100 percent to be successful and go far in the playoffs.”
Defender Tony Beltran
On if they were aware that Colorado beat Portland:
“We didn’t know. We were following the scores up until about 20 minutes before we went out for warm-ups when we all decided all right enough about everybody else it’s about us. We got to get the job done. No matter what anyone else did, it’s just disappointing because we didn’t get the job done tonight.”
On what will stand out when they look back on the game:
“I felt like the fight was there. I felt like everyone was determined. Everyone was working hard. It’s just as you come down to the wire in playoff games and pivotal games at the end of the season one or two mistakes can kill you. We scored on a set piece tonight. We gave up a goal on a set piece tonight, a quick play. I don’t know if it’s any one thing it’s just being mentally tuned in for 90 minutes because one mistake and you’re out.”
On the mental state of the team right now:
“I think we’re frustrated a little bit. We haven’t picked up considerable points in a while. It’s been a few games since we’ve won. We’re frustrated because we feel like we’re capable of more, and so we’re trying to figure it out before hopefully we get in the postseason here because if you don’t figure it out then you’re going to be going home pretty quickly.”
On if as a team leader he needs to ramp up the message of the importance of these games:
“Yeah, hopefully all this is a big wakeup call. So what we put some points together and we’re in the postseason picture. It doesn’t mean anything. You’ve got to show up every week and if you don’t, especially towards the end of the year, then all your hard work the entire season is done and it’s a long way until next year. Hopefully everybody grasps that and we take we take this little break and we look at ourselves and we get better.”
On if the break will serve them well or if they just want to get back out there as soon as possible:
“I think it’s a combination of both. Of course since we lost I want to play tomorrow, but we’ve got some guys injured, some guys banged up, so we’ll take this time to get healthy and revamp and hopefully come back firing on all cylinders.”
Midfielder Javier Morales
On what the mental state of the team is right now:
“Yeah, it’s hard because we came here to get three points. If we get three points here we’re in the playoffs. I think a little mistake made the difference. They didn’t do much, but we didn’t do enough to win the game.”
On if tonight was another example of the smaller things going wrong and becoming big:
"Yeah, of course. I don’t know why when we play away we have to be a little smart and try to finish the game. If you come to win, you don’t have to lose the game. Tonight I think like I said it’s just they got set pieces, set piece and score a goal easy and then we don’t have the mentality to go and try to push to tie the game, but now we have 10 days and I think we have to talk a lot and work harder to beat Kansas at home.”
On if the 10 days is going to be good for this team to look back on the last month or so:
“Yeah, I think it’s going to be good. Everyone take a step back and try to relax a little bit and then come back a little bit stronger and try to finish the last two games with good performances.”
