QUOTE SHEET
REAL MONARCHS 3-1 OKLAHOMA CITY ENERGY FC
RIO TINTO STADIUM; JULY 5, 2017
Real Monarchs
Head Coach Mark Briggs
On responding to last week’s loss:
“I think they responded well in the second half. The first five to seven minutes we scored a goal and started very well. Then we didn’t play for 35-minutes, which they were told at half time. Second half I’m pleased with and the start of the game I’m pleased with. At the end of the day we got a very good reaction and that’s what we were looking for. A reaction.”
On bringing Chandler Hoffman off the bench:
“It’s huge. Obviously, having a player like Chandler come off the bench and get two goals for us, it’s huge for Chandler and it's huge for the team. Chandler’s done that week in, week out throughout his career. I hope he carries on doing that week in week out for the rest of the season. So credit to Chandler coming off the bench and scoring two goals.”
On Chandler Hoffman setting the Monarchs scoring record:
“I think that’s why people pay millions. Somebody who can put the ball in the back of the net is priceless. Luckily for us we’ve got Chandler up front and he’s putting the ball in the back of the net. As long as he keeps doing that and keeps doing his role for the team he’ll continue to score goals. It’s great for us to have Chandler on our roster. It relieves a lot of pressure. Having somebody who's a “fox in the box,” so to speak, just takes the pressure off the team. I think we saw tonight he was a little frustrated starting on the bench. I just said to him “way to shut me up. Score two goals and win the game for us.”
On the defensive lapse on OKC Energy FC’s goal:
“It started higher up the field from us being sloppy in the possession. I think we were playing a square pass and they broke on us. It’s a ripple after that. It’s what we’ve been talking about since the Tulsa game. Certain things, little details have not been to the level that they should be and that they have been at the start of the season, and we need to get back to that level. The little details have a big effect. When we’re not doing those little details off the field they creep on to the field. I think we’ve started to see that. So we have to get rid of that and make sure that it doesn’t come into the team.”
On the quick turnaround to Saturday’s game:
“It’s difficult. We have to make sure they’re eating the right foods and drinking the right amount of fluids. Then, we have to look after them and kind of pamper them a little bit to be honest. Leading into the weekend, it’s obviously three games in eight days. It’s hard on anyone’s body. There will be a conversation with Mike [Petke] and see if any first team players are going to be coming down. Because those are the times where things are changing with the squad. The rotation of MLS players coming into our USL squad not only help the first team but also help us as a USL group.”
Forward Chandler Hoffman
On his impact coming off the bench:
“Obviously I want to be in the field as much as possible. As a goal scorer you can’t score when you’re on the bench. So I tried to use the first half to see where there was space and they were playing a very hard line. And I noticed when pulling off their center backs there was a lot of space when the ball got wide. So on the first goal when Kyle was out there I saw a space open when he took a step back. And then on the second one I kind of dummy it. Chase put me a through ball. As soon as I felt the center back grab me, it was an easy call to that point. So it was great to get the win and to get the goals. It’s funny to say that we were in a slump that we had not won in two games. But this group was not satisfied with the past two results but we were happy to get back on the win column.”
On the team’s mentality heading into the game:
“We’re pretty confident at home. So we knew that coming back home that we would be able to really open them up. There was a really strong desire to win tonight. I think we did that and fed off from the disappointment from the last two results. We did well tonight and get another 3 points. We have to get ready for Saturday now.”
On notching his tenth goal of the year:
“Feels great! When they talked to me about coming in here, they said that that’s what they wanted from me, to score goals and to lead the team. So I have embrace that kind of role and we’re half way through so I have high expirations for this team and for myself and personally for the amount of goals I want to score.”
Oklahoma City Energy FC
Head Coach Jimmy Nielsen
On the team’s finishing tonight:
“I thought it was a pretty even game. You saw the difference between the team that is number one and the team that is number ten. It’s the killer instinct and the execution. They had three chances, and they banged in three goals. We were not sharp enough in the two boxes to win the game today. You win and lose those games in the box, and we didn’t have the killer instinct today.”
On what needs to change offensively:
“First of all, I thought we started very poor. The first 15 minutes were unacceptable. Then we worked our way into the game and scored a goal. Then we took our foot off the gas pedal again. We gave Salt Lake the driver seat. I thought the first 20 minutes of the second half were pretty even. But then they scored. Then we got the red card a few minutes later, and end of story. That’s the difference between the team that is number one and the team that is number ten.
On the “killer instinct”:
“In my head, killer instinct and execution is also defensively. Are you getting that block in? Are you stopping a scoring chance? I think we worked hard but we never had that killer instinct.”
Striker Andy Craven
On the goal:
“It all started with a really good press. We worked really hard. I saw a chance to make a run in behind and I knew I had him with pace. If I got a ball through, I could run onto it and slide it across the box. I knew [Alex] Dixon was going to be in the box. I didn’t even need to look up to know he was there.
On what was missing:
“It’s the main thing we play for is to put the ball in the back of the net. It’s not the easiest thing in the world. We had a bunch of good opportunities, and we didn’t put it in the back of the net. They did. We have to work on capitalizing those opportunities.”
On going forward to Tulsa:
“It’s always a quick turnaround. We just need to learn for them at least and prepare your body because it’s going to be hard to be mentally into it. It’s just the nature of the sports and the nature of the turnaround.”
