QUOTE SHEET
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES 2-1 REAL SALT LAKE
JUNE 24, 2017; SAN JOSE, CALIF., AVAYA STADIUM
Real Salt Lake
Head Coach Mike Petke
On young guys getting experience:
“We’ve gotten a lot of guys experience so far. The U-20 boys have been playing a lot. I’ve used Ricky [Velazco], Jose [Hernandez] a number of times coming off the bench. So yeah, I’m all about it doesn’t matter how old you are. If you’re quality enough and your work rate is good enough and you show me on a weekly basis, then you’ll get a shot. So a lot of these guys have gotten shots.”
On igniting transition play:
"A couple of key players had a little bit of an off-night and that happens here and there, but we worked on two main things this week in training, out of a bunch. But the two main things were defending their wide crosses because that’s what they like to do, and our shape defensively in transitioning quickly, and effectively exploding out there. And I just didn’t see it. Didn’t see it for large chunks. At other times when we did, give San Jose credit, they got back and got in good shape, but times I thought we really could have exploited them, we didn’t.”
On where the team goes from here:
“Home, to play Orlando next Friday. I know it sounds funny and like a wise answer, but that’s what the mentality has to be. Next game. We’ll analyze this game, and we have to get a result at home against Orlando next weekend.”
On when he starts looking at the standings and getting concerned:
“I’m always looking at the standings. I’m a competitor, I’m always looking at the standings. We have our first transfer window coming up, hopefully maybe able to make a couple of additions. Since I took over, this has been a very big evaluation for me. It was a team that has quality, but essentially it was built before I got here. So we have to take a deep look and make some adjustments in the transfer window but also really start instilling the way I want to play – a little more stern, a little heavier.”
On ending the game with six homegrown players on the field:
“To get the goal, it’s good for Jose. It’s good for his confidence, good for the young guys. I hope at some point in the future in the next couple of years we have 11 homegrown players on the field. It’s great to have them on the field, but they have to continue to earn these opportunities.”
Midfielder Jose Hernandez
On the goal he scored:
“It’s just opportunities you get and it was just something that, I was there, it was a good play, a good collective effort and luckily it was for me to finish and I took advantage of it.”
On finishing game with 6 homegrown players on the field:
“It definitely speaks for itself I think. We had a lot of success growing up, obviously we’ve all played together at one point or another, and it just speaks highly of the coaches of the academy, of the whole organization which has invested so much money, so much time and effort into developing young guys. I think it speaks very highly of the club which is focused on young guys, and I think the future is bright.”
On what it means to get first goal:
“Obviously it’s a very joyful moment for myself, bittersweet because of the result, but I think it’s the beginning of something good hopefully.”
On maintaining optimism for future considering present results:
“I think we just gotta stay focused and be mindful this is the sport we play, it’s what we signed up for. Sometimes things don’t go exactly the way you wish or want, but it’s all part of it. Sometimes you go down, but it’s just keeping your head up and knowing things will change and come back around.”
Defender Chris Wingert
On recent outcomes:
“I think the other teams defensively and offensively have been a bit better than us in the final third. It’s been costing us.”
On the team’s strong finish the last 15 or 20 minutes:
“Not just the last 15 or 20 minutes, it was opened up at that point, understandably so, but I think we were creating chances the whole game.”
On bouncing back against Orlando:
“No time to hang our heads, we’ve got a quick turn around, game on Friday and then another game on Tuesday, so we’ll go over some things early in the week and then really put all our focus on Orlando, because we know it’s going to be a quick turn around and they’re going to provide a big challenge for us.”
Forward Brooks Lennon
On the loss:
“It’s obviously tough to lose but I think the performance is getting better on the road. I thought we fought until the end and had a good goal to pull one back. We just need to keep working hard and get the results we need on the road.”
On San Jose:
“I think they had good movement in behind from the front runners. I think they kept the ball well the whole 90 minutes especially when they went a man down, I was surprised at well they kept the ball. I think that hurt us. We did a lot of running in the 90 minutes because they were so good at keeping the ball. We just need to go back to the drawing board and get back home and get a win against Orlando next weekend”
On playing away from Rio Tinto:
“Obviously it’s tough going away from home in a hostile environment. San Jose was a good team tonight but these are the kind of wins you need to get into the playoffs. When you go on the road in a tough environment against a tough team you just have to dig deep and try to get a result. It was Unlucky we didn’t do that tonight. We just need to keep working hard, I think performance was better. We just need to keep working.”
