Utah Royals FC 2-0 Orlando Pride
Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, Utah
May 25, 2019
Utah Royals FC
Head Coach Laura Harvey
On scoring the second goal late in the game:
“I felt that we created enough chances for it to be at least two, but today was a game where I don't think it was our best performance by long stretch. We showed some grit and character which we asked for from the players all week. So, I think that was in abundance. Having a clean sheet is great and obviously getting a second goal which has been sort of a roadblock, which I think is even more sweet with who scored because coming back from an injury like Mak’s [Makenzy Doniak] had it's been a tough road for her. It was a really good opportunity that she got and just really pleased for her that she was able to finish it.”
On the team’s mentality of finally scoring a second goal during a game:
“I think that scoring so late was actually a nice thing, because it meant that we could keep pushing the players to make sure they didn't drop their standards. Obviously I've said this a lot that two goals make it a little bit more comfortable, but it still meant that we wanted to keep our standard targets, we wanted to keep the clean sheet and we did that. We were really diligent in first and second balls. We knew that Orlando was going to come here and sort of play relatively directly and put balls in the box; try and transition to get out as quickly in terms of turnovers, so, we prepared for that. I think in the first half, we didn't do a great job of it, but I think in the second half we did. The second goal eases that a little bit, but we're very proud of clean sheets. Once we scored the second, it was all about keeping a clean sheet.”
On Vero’s injury and Tymrak coming in:
“It's been something that's been bothering her for a couple of weeks now. We've been managing it and I think we got it early enough that hopefully it won't be long term, but no timeline as of now. I thought Erika [Tymrak] was great. I actually thought she did really, really well. And Erika is a funny player, you sort of know in the first five minutes of her being on the field, what mood she's in. When she's dynamic and runs with the ball and gets up the opposition, it's going to be a good Erika Tymrak day. She did that really early on when she came on and was a real difference maker in the second half.”
On withstanding Orlando’s late game assault:
“Just being all the things that we do in training. Look back to last week with North Carolina, that's what we had to deal with there. I thought Sam and Gaby were excellent in dealing with that and I felt better. Bo [Katie Bowen] was really good in the second half as a fullback if they wanted to go forward. In this game, the way Orlando was transitioning that they had to be a little bit mindful of that. I found in the second half, they did a much better job of that. And I think Lo [Lo’eau LaBonta] in front of them was excellent.”
On Barnhart’s performance:
“She reads the game well, I thought she did really well in the first half. A lot of the balls that came over the top, often she wouldn't have come forward and she did, which calmed us a little bit and then. I mean, she's one of the best shots stoppers the game’s ever had and she showed it again tonight.”
On Gaby’s tryout and why she was selected:
“It was a ball in the second half where she went into pressure and played a diagonal ball into someone in midfield on the opposite side. That's what we saw as someone who is a center back, someone who can pass. And because we need that in our team, I think all of our center backs are good footballers. Gaby is the same in that term. I think that the journey that she's been on since preseason has been learning off Becky, Rach, Johno, in terms of what you've got to be good at defensively in this league. But I think the one thing that they've known from day one about her, we've all known about her, is how good she is on ball. We've just had to help, develop, and coach her and players help her in terms of how diligent you've got to be defensively. Like you’ve seen today, this is a game that can turn on a head. I thought that she did really well. I thought last week she did great.
On seeing players come back from injury and score:
“It's so interesting. Mak might kill me for telling this story, but I think last week in Carolina was a real difficult week for her going back to where she'd been traded from honestly. Her and I had a really good conversation at the end of the game of just...trust the process, trust the journey, we traded you for a reason. You know we're going to need you, we know how important you're going to be and your time will come. I think you saw the elation in her face when she scored. Last week was a big turning point for her mentally, and she went out on the field today and just put absolutely everything out there and got a got her just reward.
On Mallory’s second game coming on:
“She's probably more like Taylor [than Brittany Ratcliffe]. But yes, we definitely decided to make a move because of the injuries to Brit and Taylor. Mal has been excellent, and I had conversations with Mark Parsons prior to picking her up off waivers, and he was so complimentary of her as a person. He said she'll be great for your team and she's definitely been that. The one thing that I've known now, and it's probably why we made the changes that we did, that their work ethic defensively is as good as it is when they go forward. In games that are one-nil, and it's getting late in the game and it’s getting stretched, bringing people on who can provide that is really important. Both of them show that they also can be a threat in different ways going forward. Mal’s super quick and strong, Max is strong and powerful and obviously can finish and so I think that for for Mal, she's fitted in seamlessly honestly. She works hard every single day in training, and she's a fantastic teammate and a really easy person to coach honestly. It's been a seamless transition to bring her into this group.
ForwardAmy Rodriguez
On the last minute goal:
I think that the last couple times we've been up a goal we've only been up by one and it was still nice to have Mak come on, you know she's -I've been in her quarter all year long rooting for her come back from her ACL last year, because that was me last year. I couldn't be more excited for Makenzy. I thought she came in, did well, got that goal for us which put us up 2-0 which is so nice to have that comfort goal, a little bit of a cushion instead of a frantic crazy last 5-10 minutes. We were able to secure that second goal and it felt so good to come away with a win today.
On how they withstood Orlando:
“I think we're getting used to teams kind of throwing the kitchen sink at us in the end. Laura in that last huddle at the end of the game, she told us it was about our gritt, about our heart and how we fought for that and we are winners for that. And I think that's kind of who we are. Utah's known for coming out strong and setting the tone. And we want to continue doing that and in games where we've kind of let off the gas pedal, we didn't do that tonight we kept pushing. And that's why we're walking with three points.”
On her thoughts during a PK:
“I feel like I've been in this game a long time and I understand that PK can be a pressure moment but it's okay, I feel like that's what strikers are meant to handle and I knew where I wanted to go. I knew that I was confident my shot and I just went up and took it.”
On the NWSLstandings:
“I don't think we're necessarily happy or content sitting at the top of the table, like you said: it's early on in the season where things can change and our league is unforgiving. Laura always tells us that. Our league is tight, teams go up and down all the time so it's it's on our shoulders to kind of keep steamrolling ahead, keep pushing. And the race is on.”
On the two goals:
“It feels good to walk away with a win. Early in the season we have the clean sheet going. It's great to get another clean sheet tonight. Shout out to our defense for holding down and our goalkeeper. It feels good to walk away with three points today, like I said.”
Defender Makenzy Doniak
On her goal:
“It was honestly indescribable. Just the work to get here. It's really hard so it meant a lot to me. I’m really happy, I feel good, I feel part of the team. Yeah, just good experience.”
How the goal came together:
“I came on and we were already up a goal so my mindset is be that solid player for our team defensively. And so when we got that free kick, I saw Lo, we made eye contact. They're a little out of position, she played it quick. And I think just the attacking nature out of me came out. And I'm really happy that I was able to finish it.”
On how the team feels about goal 2:
“We just talked about that. It felt good to break that barrier of only getting one goal a game. I think that we are very capable of more than one goal and we know that but our finishing needs to be touched up a little bit. And so to get that second goal reassured us that we're there, we're on the door knocking and it was a good feeling to get two goals this game.”
On changing teams, her ACL and her goal:
“Out of my whole soccer career, of all the goals I’ve scored I feel like that one was the most emotional. Especially for me just, like you said, the injury, getting traded, just the road to get here was was really hard. And so to get rewarded, I feel like it was a little bit of a reward for my hard work. And I'll never forget that goal or that feeling for sure.”
Defender Gaby Vincent
On signing Autographs
“It's just awesome because we really cannot do it without without the fans and just seeing a little little girl's face smile and you sign a simple 30 second autograph it just makes you smile and It reminds you who we're doing this for for the whole community for all the little girls who want to grow up and play soccer one day. It's really an awesome feeling. I love it. I love signing autographs”
On first full 90:
“It's hard for me to describe them. So shocked, this really just happened. But, my teammates and coaches did a great job preparing me for a 90-minute game. When it came time to step in I felt prepared. It was awesome to get a start and a 90-minute game and especially three points in this league. So I'm feeling really good right now.”
On getting the opportunity to play for Royals FC:
“I don't know if there's a specific moment, you might have to ask the coaches but I just came in and tried out, as a shot in the dark, I was like I'm going to give it my best shot. When I got invited to preseason, I was like, this is just another opportunity for me to give it my best shot. And I just I think I go in every day with that mentality with that chip on my shoulder. Maybe I don't deserve to be here, but I worked so hard to make myself deserve to be here. I think the coaches recognize my work ethic and they trust me now they've seen me for a few months playing and I think they trust me enough to put me in the game.”
On her shot in the dark”
“It's always been a dream. When I go to open tryouts, I don't want to just make the team I want to be effective on the team, I want to make a difference. I want to be an impactful player for this team. So that's always been in the back of my mind.That's the goal that I'm trying to get to. I said earlier, just going in every day, trying to get something out of it trying to get better trying to prove that I've learned on this team, I can play with these girls, I can play in this league and I think just that work ethic every day is what's put me in a position to be confident enough to play those balls and I spent a lot of time in practice trying to hit those and the coaches and my teammates, they correct me when I hit the wrong goal. So it's really just a lot of repetition and practice that gives me the confidence to do good in the game.”
On playing under pressure:
“When the flow is on their side and the momentum is with them. It's it's difficult but you know, you just that's that's when grit comes in. That's when I'm not gonna let this go get past me I'm not gonna let the ball get past me and you just kind of ride out that wave until till we get more control the ball and and Sam Johnson she's she's great at just staying cool under situations like that and making everyone else around here for around her field. Okay, we're good. They're coming on, if we win this tackle it will be good. I think she did a great job just holding us down. We made it out of that flow. Then we got another go.”
