Quote Sheet
Real Salt Lake 2-1 Sporting Kansas City
Rio Tinto Stadium; July 24, 2015
Real Salt Lake
Head Coach Jeff Cassar
On if Real Salt Lake has turned a corner:
“I think we are doing a lot of the right things, but we can’t start patting ourselves on the back or anything. What we need to do is just keep staying the course. Doing what is successful for us right now and that is having a unified team and everyone working hard, playing defense, playing offense. We have to stay level headed for this stretch that we have coming up.”
If Plata is the new PK taker for the team:
“To be honest with you I have no idea. That’s their decision. If we went to PK’s we would pick who is taking them. But I love that the guys care about each other in different ways. I think we all wanted to see Joao dance and get the guys going because I know they have been practicing. So that was a classy move.”
On the game being back and forth:
“The first half wasn’t that way I thought. I felt maybe we gave the ball away a couple of times cheaply. Maybe made a wrong choice in a pass that led to their attack. The second half was too stretched out for our liking. But I thought they managed it kind of well. Obviously Jeff made a few spectacular saves to keep us in it. And that is what we are going to need. We are going to need some big plays from guys. Not the entire game is going to go your way and you have to manage those times that are a little rough. I think it was probably the first 15 were a little rough for us. It took us a little bit of time to deal with their outside backs who had pushed up so advanced and a little different look in the midfield. But after that we settled in nicely. Now there are a few coaching points on video that show how they were able to get at us.”
On getting back into the game after Feilhaber’s goal:
“I think it was just getting ahold of the ball. I think it was a little too much back and forth. We were giving the ball away. That’s not what we want to do going forward. Then staying aggressive offensively. When Olmes (Garcia) came on we were able to threaten them and keep their backs honest. We’ve been asking Olmes to be aggressive, aggressive, aggressive because no one can stay with him when he is like that. We did a great job on the break.”
On if he said anything to Devon Sandoval after his substitution:
“I haven’t told him anything yet. But in the end it’s as much as we can put our forwards in those kinds of opportunities I have the full faith and belief that they are going to put those away. No one scores on every shot. But the more that the coaching staff can help these guys get into those positions, I know they can score. I have the full belief in them. Maybe if he pulls the trigger just a hair quicker, it might give him a better opportunity. But I love the way we had that buildup. I love that he had options on either side. Heck, I’m not going to complain that much when he gets that shot off and just barely misses. Half a centimeter and that’s off the post and in. I’m really pleased with his work rate tonight and also for getting himself into those positions.”
On what he saw on Javier Morales’ goal:
“I saw that we were in great spots to win it and then from there a piece of excellence. His footwork in a tight space, after that it just opened up. His class and composure to finish it the way he did. It was fun to watch.”
Goalkeeper Jeff Attinella
On his reaction-saves today:
“On the first one, I just saw that the ball was going to be cut back, so I did my best to try and come out and stay big. Luckily, he kind of hit it into me. On the second one, same thing. I just tried my best to get across the goal. In that situation there’s really only one place he could have put it. I just kind of sold out for that post and got a hand to it. I’m sure that he [Jacob Peterson] won’t be happy that I saved those two, but obviously it’s good for the team, and great to get three points.”
On how saved the first point-blank shot:
“I got kicked. I got a ball hit off me. I don’t know. It hit my body somewhere.”
On if they need to close down on Benny Feilhaber next time:
“It was funny. We talked about it right in the circle. We said, ‘He’s coming in. He’s pretty hot right now.’ But to our team’s credit, after he scored that goal he kind of just disappeared and he didn’t get the ball after that. Obviously, we’re going to be excited to play against those guys again in a couple weeks.”
On if he feels that the team has turned a corner:
“We’re getting there. I think we still have to play not necessarily desperate soccer, but we have to lay everything on the line every time we get a chance to get three points. I think that you’re seeing that out of this group and I think for a lot of people that follow RSL closely, it you said that this was going to be the month that we were going to have during the Gold Cup, everybody would have taken it. The locker room’s buzzing right now; we feel good about it.”
Midfielder Luke Mulholland
On if he feels it’s a crime that Javier Morales isn’t an All-Star:
“I would definitely [echo the sentiment]. But, at the same time, I wouldn’t want for him to have to play another game and add to the crazy schedule we’ve got coming up – we’ve got 5 games in two weeks – so I’d rather him not go and play in the All-Star game. But personally, I think Javier has carried this team on his back for the last few games, especially more so since [Kyle] Beckerman and [Nick] Rimando have been away. He’s stepped up, he’s the captain now, and he takes pride and honor in that. Today, in the first half, I wasn’t playing great. A few of the other guys were sloppy, and he did it again. He carried us on his back and scored a magical goal and got us in a good position at halftime. Then we were able to collect ourselves at halftime, and get back out there second half. Yes, they scored, but we responded well and great solo effort by Olmes [Garcia] to win us the PK. So, I’m delighted with the win.”
Midfielder Javier Morales
On his goal:
“I’m happy. I think [Sebastian] Jamie touched it before. Somebody was coming to my left, and I tried to push the ball forward. And then there were two players or so and I tried to go in between. The goalkeeper wasn’t coming and I tried to put the ball to one side.”
On if it was his decision to let Joao Plata take the PK:
“Yeah. He asked me after the PK. Like I always say, I don’t care about who scores goals or who makes assists, I care about winning games. He had confidence that I think he needed. He scored the last game, and tonight he was playing well. I need him playing that well, and that is the reason why I gave him the PK. He shot it great.”
On him and Feilhaber talking quite a bit during the match:
“It was interesting, but I think that he’s a good player. He’s a very good player. He likes to talk. That’s my side. I don’t hate anybody. It’s how it works. I don’t hate anybody, but some people you like, some people you don’t. I’m cool with that.”
On how he got a lot of touches today:
“I try to find the spaces. In the second half I think I touched the ball less than the first half, but I think I had more space in the second half than in the first half. That was weird. Sometimes I couldn’t find the ball but yes, it was in the middle and that’s the reason why we created a lot of chances.”
Sporting Kansas City
Head Coach Peter Vermes
Thoughts on the match:
“We were running on fumes coming in, with three games in seven days. I thought they had a good first half, I thought we had a good second half. We had a couple of good chances in the second half that we probably should’ve put away one of them. They had more energy than we did just based on the fact of three games in seven days. It was tough for us.”
On the impact of Benny Feilhaber in the second half:
“I thought he was impactful. He brought a spark to the team. It was good because there’s no way he could’ve played 90 [minutes]. I didn’t want to push him for 90 [minutes]. There were a couple other guys I wanted to change but some other things determine different subs. But he came in and had a good impact in the game. He’s calm on the ball and he was good for us.”
Thoughts on the penalty call:
“It was hard for me to see from where I was. I think it was a penalty from where I stood. It was a breakdown from us in regards to our balance in the back. Tim [Melia] had to come out and try to make a challenge to the ball. But at the end I thought, I mean from where I was standing, and not seeing the replay I think it was the right call.”
Defender Matt Besler
Thoughts on the match:
“I thought it was another well contested match. Both teams played competitive. At the end of the day things didn’t go our way and we have to give credit to Salt Lake for winning the game.”
On the impact of Benny Feilhaber in the second half:
“He’s playing with a lot of confidence right now, I mean the shot was an unbelievable goal. It’s great when you have a guy like that playing on your team and hopefully he can keep his form up.”
