“I have a migraine now – that’s my emotion. I was really disappointed, obviously, with what happened in the first half. I thought we started out pretty decently. We moved the ball up the field, trying to break them down, and make things difficult, as is typical, and the first basic chance they get behind our back four, they score. It was very frustrating, but then our reaction for the next ten or fifteen minutes was very poor. To get their second goal really put us in an awkward position. I challenged the guys at halftime, and credit to them for the response they showed – to score five goals in a game is really good.”
On the performance of Plata, Stephenson and Findley:
I think that, when you look at all the guys that came into the match, they were all difference-makers for me. It’s what we needed to have. They did well, worked hard, and were a part of the difference.”
On the mentality of the team in the first half versus the mentality in the second half:
“The players didn’t come out and have the right energy, with the mentality to make the difference, in the first half. That’s the way that we’ll look at it. We had a terrific reaction by our players, a terrific mindset to battle back to get two goals, then get overtime and be done – it was outstanding.”
On the players’ ability to break down a bunkered Charleston defense:
“Yeah – that’s what we’ve seen from really every opponent who comes here. It’s nice to see that our guys are finding solutions to [bunkering].”
On Devon Sandoval’s performance:
“I didn’t think he was the sharpest, until he scored that goal – then I thought he was fantastic. I don’t think he put a wrong touch the rest of the way.”
On whether the team can play well enough against Carolina to avoid going into extra time:
“I hope so. I really thought that we were smart enough, experienced, and a better team than to have to go through this twice. Again, that’s looking at the negative side of things. The positive side of things is that reaction. Hopefully, the third time, we won’t need to play 120 minutes. Maybe the players wanted to give the fans their money’s worth – 120 minutes of excitement. That’s what, time and a half? We should be charging more for these games.”
On what led to the decision to have Plata take the penalty kick in the second half:
“I have never been a coach who wants to dictate who takes the penalty kicks. For me, it means more to the players to choose among themselves, and to do what they think is right. As a player, there were several times in matches where I just said ‘I’m not feeling it – somebody else take it.’ I think that those decisions need to be made out there. I don’t know who’s the most confident, but obviously Plata was confident at that moment.”
On Aaron Maund’s performance:
“It wasn’t the best, to be honest and frank. He was a little bit hesitant with decisions when he had the ball and with decisions when he didn’t have the ball. This will be a learning experience for him. I’m still glad that he was able to contribute, and that he was able to play his first official minutes for us. I’m looking for teaching moments [with him] and improvement.”
Real Salt Lake MF Ned Grabavoy
On the tough first half:
"It was our normal energy and commitment level at the beginning of the game as it usually is. No probably not, but saying that, I thought that we played decently well. The problem is you give up two goals like that, and they go even more into a shell and it falls right into their game-plan. So from there it's just to grind it out. Keep trying to play and create chances to try to get it back to 2-2, which we did and almost 3-2 before the overtime. We could feel them wearing down a little bit, especially before half time."
On the team scoring more goals lately:
"I think we're obviously creating a ton of chances. We probably missed a good amount of chances still. But in saying that, it just seems to me like nobody is trying to overdo anything. The ball gets into the midfield, it gets knocked around, one, two touch, move it, move it, move it until we finally move past our midfield and then from there it has been a commitment from guys to get into the box. Two forwards, Javier [Morales] and at least another midfielder and an outside back. We're getting numbers in and around the box and the rest of the team is stepping up to try and clean up things and try to stay in their final third and play from there, so I think it's that commitment level a little bit. And then I think that we have some forwards who are well rounded players. You look at players like Robbie and Garcia. Both are very fast, good in the air, pretty good on the ball. Tonight; previous years without [Alvaro Saborio], I think we lose that game. But with guys like Devon Sandoval and some of these other guys, we say that we got to get some of these guys in the box and make hard runs and head balls into the back of the goal, because we're going to get wide and get service. We did that in the second half."
Real Salt Lake FW Joao Plata
On the penalty kick decision with Javier Morales:
“Yes I think Javier, he is the one who takes penalties most of the time. But he asked me if I feel comfortable and I said yes. Thank God I scored it. I was practicing at training [yesterday] and I was a good shot. They are something I like to do, the free kicks and penalties. But with time I will keep practicing and practicing to see if I can score more.”
On his comfort level with playing in RSL’s system:
“I am very happy because the coach gives me a lot of trust and my teammates they give me a lot of energy. I am happy and hope to keep playing this way.”
On the assist to Devon Sandoval:
“I thought I had the space to do that cross and he scored it. It is very important to keep assisting and I’m happy the team won.”
Real Salt Lake FW Devon Sandoval
Thoughts on the game:
“The first half was definitely frustrating because we’ve got to come out better than that. They had a game-plan and executed it and got two goals from it. The second half we came out a lot better and got our chances and put them away.”
Thoughts on the substitutions in the second half:
“When Joao Plata came in on the left side he added so much with going to three forwards. That allowed me to get my space in the box and with Findley coming on it added another dimension. They both definitely helped and even Khari. He got a goal.”
On the Javier Morales penalty:
“I thought about getting my hat trick for a second but that’s not what’s important to me. The team winning and the teams effort is what matters and he stepped up and scored.”
On his first goal of the night:
“The past month or so Tony and I have been talking about it. I was watching the U.S. Men’s National Team a few weeks ago and [FW Jozy Altidore] scored one similar to that and as soon as I saw it I texted Tony and said we’ve got to score one like that. Tonight was about as close as it gets, so I’m happy.”
Thoughts on becoming the next Jozy Altidore:
“His playing style is similar but I am just trying to do what I can for the team. I’m not focused on him at all.”
On tying the all-time goal scoring for RSL in USOC matches:
“I saw it on Twitter but that doesn’t matter to me. We won and that’s all that matters.”
Charleston Battery
Charleston Battery Head Coach Michael Anhaeuser
His reaction to the game:
“We got them to do what we wanted to do. We’ve got a pretty attacking team. We knew we might be able to do that. We knew they would be good and keep us under pressure, especially in the second half because of the way that they play. We thought we could get at them in that first half, and it worked. If we got that third goal, it might’ve put them under some more pressure. I have to give credit to them, they really changed it up in the second half. The substitutes changed the game. We’ve had a lot of games and this is high altitude, so that running really caught up to us in the second half.”
On not having as many opportunities in the second half:
“Well they changed it [the game]. In the second half, they created pockets of three on the outside and didn’t give the ball away. They got the ball in on crosses and put us under some pressure. You could see we didn’t have the legs. When we got it on the break, we weren’t able to run with it and we gave the ball back, so then we had to defend. That was the biggest difference from the first half.”
On the penalty kick in the second half:
“You know, I don’t know if it was a penalty. I think if you ask him, he might say it was. It looked like he slipped a little bit, but of course, you can’t bump a guy. If it looks like it and especially on the road, you don’t get those calls.
On his team’s success in the Open Cup:
“We were going to play this like a home game. We didn’t want to defend because I don’t think you can defend Salt Lake with the players that they have. You can’t defend against them for 90 minutes. You have to score, and you have to put some balls in the back of the net.”
Charleston Battery DF John Wilson
On the game plan coming in:
“Win. It was going to be tough, but it’s good to come in and go get a win. We had a good shot at it, but we came up just a little bit short.”
On Charleston’s success in the Open Cup:
“The club takes it seriously. The players take it seriously. When you have a lot of young players you want to show up well. You want to try and win the game.”
On the change in the second half:
“Two things: If we got that third in the first half going in the second half, we would’ve won the game. I think the penalty kick definitely changed it. I’m not sure it was one or not. From my view, it wasn’t, but that’s how it goes. They’ve got some good players and they finished their chances. But the guys played well.”
On the team’s strategy in the extra time periods:
“We wanted to keep attacking, and stick to our game plan and beat them on the counter attack. It didn’t happen, but they know they were into a game. I think if we got that third goal, and we had two chances, but it was a good game. It was tiring but good for the fans.”
Charleston Battery MF Jarad van Schaik
On playing the team that drafted him:
“[I had] Mixed emotions to be honest. I really like this franchise and Real Salt Lake, the fans are great, but it does sting a little. You come back and you want to play well. You just want to play to the best of your ability, so it’s tough. I did want to stick it to them, but I like the franchise.”
On the penalty:
“It’s tough. I don’t know. I’d like to say it wasn’t, but I didn’t think it was clear cut. It was the referee’s discretion. I think there was a little contact. I definitely didn’t think it was 100 percent justified. I’m good at seeing both sides, but I think it was close. It was the referee’s discretion, I’d say.”
On moving on to USL Pro play:
“It’s a bit of a confidence boost against San Jose and we were close here. Those kinds of performances are confidence boosters, but we’ve got back-to-back games on Saturday and Sunday, so we’ll have to use the full roster for that. There might be some heavy legs here and there. In terms of a confidence boost it helps. In terms of heavy legs and tired bodies, it’s going to hurt a little bit. But we’ve got a lot of good players. We’re a deep team and we’ll get through it and do the job.”
