QUOTE SHEET
Utah Royals FC 2-2 OL Reign
Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, Utah
Saturday, September 26, 2020
Head Coach Amy LePeilbet
On the attack:
“It starts from our build. We worked on that during the week, linking through the thirds and it all came together today. There was good movement off the ball for each other, and we were first to it at the top of the box and we put some away. The players feel really good that we put some goals away. I know that they always feel like they could do it, and now only confidence can come from us actually putting some away.”
On today’s performance:
“We can take a lot of positives from this game. It definitely feels like a loss, only because we were up 2-0, and then they came back and it ended as a draw. When we really break down what went on in the game, there’s mostly positives. Their two goals really were just a lapse of concentration. Little mistakes, so nothing major. Our two goals were really well taken. It was good build, good attack, and good combination play. For us, we just take this and we’re excited about it. Positives come from this game. Our attack was much better, and we took our opportunities. We were more dangerous, and all of a sudden we were more of a threat in front of goal.”
On Lowder’s performance:
“I thought Melissa did well today. She made a couple great saves for us, and a couple difficult ones. A couple balls were thrown into the mix, in a crowded box, which she came out and got her gloves to, so I thought she did well for us. We knew Mel was going to be the one in goal, a couple days before the game. With Mel, she’s been preparing every single day like she’s going to play. She’s put the work in every day since day 1 when she got here. When she knew she was going to be the one stepping in, she was already prepared. She had been doing it the entire time, and she’s just been growing each and everyday that we’re out there together.”
On Diallo’s goal:
“It was a beautiful goal. When we were looking at Diallo, we knew she was capable of scoring goals like that, so for us it was exciting to have her actually make it happen and get one today.”
On switching to a 4 backline:
“We decided to switch our formation when we all came back together for this fall series. I think we did well in the 3 back. The 3-5-2 was brand new to the players, and we had a lot of success with it. Truthfully, we had some difficulties as well, and I think for us, we felt like going into a 4-3-3 would fit this team really well and we could have even more success. That was what we talked and thought about and so far I think the team is doing really well in this formation.”
Forward Tziarra King
On Breonna Taylor:
“Big credit to the Reign players. They did a great job bringing this idea together. They brought it to me and I said ‘Absolutely. Our whole team is on board.’ We thought it would be really powerful to have a unified statement out there. In light of everything that’s going on right now, it’s important to remember that life is so much bigger than soccer. The things that are going on in this country are so much bigger than us. Being able to use this platform to honor Breonna Taylor’s name and let it be known that we think it’s unacceptable, the ruling that came out. It’s difficult stuff to deal with and I can only imagine how her family is handling it. We are just doing everything we can to honor her, play for her and stand up with Black lives.”
On an emotional week:
“Without a doubt it’s emotional. You wonder if you could be next. So without a doubt it’s always something that’s in the back of your mind – or the forefront of your mind with everything that’s going on right now. The other day I went to a candlelight vigil for Breonna Taylor and it was a really safe space. There were a lot of People of Color sharing their thoughts. I was fortunate for the Salt Lake City Black Lives Matter chapter for them setting that up because it was a space where I felt like I could express myself and I could hear voices of other People of Color sharing their thoughts. In terms of balancing it, it’s just a matter of taking care of yourself and doing things that make you feel good while also reflecting and appreciating the situation that you’re in and how lucky you are. It’s been a lot, but just trying to push along.”
On her goals for the Fall Series:
“With it being an exhibition, it’s just getting better every single day. That’s my goal every time I step on the field and every time I come to train is to improve, to gain knowledge and get better with my fitness. It’s kind of cool that I get the opportunity to get these games in. I can get these games under my belt in a less pressure environment. I’m continuing to get better every day and building chemistry with my teammates. We continue to build and hit the ground running for the next season.”
On her goal:
“We dissected what happened in the last game and we made some tweaks to how we wanted to come out and what our game plan was. That’s a credit to Amy and the team’s adaptability. On the goal, Britt played a beautiful ball right to my head. She couldn’t have put it any more perfect. Luckily I got up and redirected it. Big credit to Britt on that one.”
Goalkeeper Melissa Lowder
On first start:
“It was very surreal. I didn’t have a lot of time to prepare mentally. I found out yesterday, so it’s just a process of trusting yourself, getting in there and enjoying the moment.”
On learning from the other keepers:
“It’s more of a great learning opportunity and I’m honored just to train with them and learn from them. I’m a firm believer in that if you work hard, the opportunity will come. Unfortunately the goalkeeper position usually comes with an injury -- That was the situation here, but it’s honestly an honor to train behind Abby and Barnhart.”
On playing in front of fans:
“I feel really lucky to have my debut at home, the comfort of showing up and training there everyday gives you confidence, especially for your first game.”
On playing:
“It was nerve-racking at first, but the goalkeeper position is really about instinct, I tried my best to fall back on that and trust myself, and trust that I’m prepared and ready for the situation.”
