QUOTE SHEET
Utah Royals FC 2-0 Orlando Pride
Exploria Stadium; Orlando, Florida
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Utah Royals FC Head Coach Laura Harvey
Overall thoughts on the game:
“I think we had to dig in tonight. I don’t think it was our best performance, on either side of the ball, but we stuck with it, we dug in and Christen [Press] and Amy [Rodriguez] are a threat, they don’t need too many chances to score, we didn’t get them in the game as much as we would want. I think we knew tonight they were gonna throw absolutely everything at us, and they did that, maybe a little bit of luck went our way at times, but I think we were super professional towards the end of the game with us 2-0 up. Another clean sheet, which is great and the girls put in a real shift tonight, so it’s about rest and recovery for Wednesday.”
On the midfield’s performance:
“I think when our midfield works well and we solve the problems the opposition is providing to us. We can always get in the game and we’ll always know that when we’ve got them two [Press and Rodriguez] higher up that we’re a threat. So, I think from the Reign game we knew we had to solve a few things in the midfield and I felt like we did that a lot tonight and limited them to very few chances, a couple on the break, and then when they were throwing the kitchen sink at us at the end I felt like we really defended well.”
Utah Royals FC Forward Amy Rodriguez
Overall thoughts on the game:
“Really excited about the three points, like you said, that was really crucial coming into tonight, Laura [Harvey] had put on our radar that this was a must win game for us and I think we went out there and did what we needed to do to win.”
On her opportunities in front of goal:
“To be honest I had a few chances tonight that I kinda want back a little bit. I wouldn’t say it was a super technically clean night for me, but I was happy I was able to put away one of the goals for the team tonight. Yeah, it was kinda a breakaway on net and just tried to outside foot it to the side of Ashlyn [Harris], credit to her she got a touch on it, I was lucky it went in really, but I wish I had a few of those chances back tonight.”
On the team’s success through three games:
“The team’s playing good right now. I think that we’ve got a solid midfield going right now and the girls are working hard, we’re doing all the gritty work, which Laura [Harvey] loves and wants us to do, and we brought it tonight. We weren’t gonna leave tonight without three points and that’s what we did.”
Utah Royals FC Midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta
On the midfield’s ability and strength:
“The midfield, we each have our own have our own strong suits, Desi [Scott] is out there holding it down winning every single tackle, Stengel is out there and gets every ball in the air and then holds it for Vero and I to run off and get it to our forwards who score again, so I think we’re finding each others strengths and really utilizing those and capitalizing on them.”
On her run of play in the last few games:
“I think I’m seeing what the girls want, we’ve talked a lot more, especially after those couple losses and at halftime we’re talking and after every little play we get wrong we’re talking, so the fact that we’re able to correct a mistake and, you know again, capitalize on that is I think what’s happening with our forwards scoring more off of Vero and I.”
