QUOTE SHEET
REAL MONARCHS 4 : 1 SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC 2
RIO TINTO STADIUM; JULY 8, 2017
Real Monarchs
Head Coach Mark Briggs
On continuing the home win streak:
“That was the main thing tonight going into a two-week break. To be in a good frame of mind and continuing our record at home is important. Getting another win at Rio Tinto Stadium and continuing to make it a fortress is a big thing. It’s pleasing tonight.”
On the influence of MLS loan players:
“I think they obviously bring quality. They’re in the MLS for a reason and they also bring the right attitude. I think you see tonight that they were creative in “Bofo” [Saucedo] and then when you add that quality to it, it only makes us stronger when we’re having those players come down and perform like they did for us tonight.”
On what Nick Besler and Chandler Hoffman bring to the team:
“I think Nick Besler is an unsung hero for the team. The amount of work that he does off the ball, sometimes people don’t recognize that and don’t see that. For the team, we’re in the position we’re in, not just solely down to Besler, but he does a lot for the defensive work for us which enables Sebastian [Velasquez] and Charlie [Adams] to have a bit more freedom. So Besler has been fantastic for us in the first half of the season. Now it’s about taking him off at half time, giving him that bit of rest, that little bit of credit to hopefully be fresh for when we come back for San Antonio. And Chandler Hoffman, he scored again tonight, and to be honest, he should have had a hat trick in the first half. But he got on the score sheet again and he’s doing what he’s asked, he’s doing his job, he’s doing his role for the team. So he continues to score and hopefully he can continue to score in the second half of the season.”
On having 15 different players score goals in the season:
“I think I’ve said it before at the start of the year, it’s credit to the front office for putting together the roster that we have. It’s great for me to work with players that have the ability that they have. We’ve scored 40 goals but if you look at the video and the footage, we probably should have 60 goals. We score goals but we’re still not clinical enough. I think tonight we got in the final third and we’re just not clinical, not selecting the right pass. We’re being too clever. I’m happy with the goals we are scoring and the number of players that are scoring goals but I still think we should be scoring more goals.”
On the preparing for the second half of the season:
“I think it’s a great time for this break to come. It gives us a chance to recharge the batteries and recharge their minds and also for us as staff to sit down and reflect on what needs to be worked on again. I think the last few games we've won games but we haven’t been performing to the level that I would like. I think we have to tweak a couple of things and make a couple of adjustments to get back to the level that we were at the start of the season.”
On Sebastian Velasquez and Charlie Adams health:
“They should both be ready for the San Antonio game. Seba [Velasquez] obviously did his hamstring. It’s not a bad pull, so he should be ready to start training next week, hopefully. and then Charlie [Adams] did his ankle, just a slight ankle sprain. So he should be back with us and we should be at full strength for the San Antonio game as long as no one gets injured at training between now and then.”
On the Manchester United match:
“It’s huge, Manchester United, they’re the biggest team in England, like them or hate them. They one of the biggest clubs in the world. So, the fact that they’re coming to Rio Tinto Stadium to play against our players, there’s not much that I need to say to the players. If you’re coming up against Manchester United and world class players, they should go out and they should enjoy the experience to pick themselves up against some of the best players in the world.”
Midfielder Sebastian Saucedo
On tonight’s game:
“Happy for the team and obviously getting three points. That’s the most important part. For me, I was happy getting in minutes and getting in a rhythm in order to get more minutes on the first team. I’ve come a long way in training and the weight room. Everything I’ve worked on paid off playing tonight for the Monarchs.”
On his goals:
“I felt like I could’ve dribbled through two more. I went low corner and second was lucky off the deflection. I thank God for the opportunity to score two goals. All this hard work has paid off.”
On the academy and their impact moving to Salt Lake:
“It’s a motivational thing for the young guys to see first-hand what goes in training and the locker room. How we treat things and how we use our facility. I wish I had the first team at the Academy. Going to see a process with academy and first team which is huge.”
On playing Manchester United on July 17:
“It’s another test to see how far we are from other European clubs. We have to approach the game the same way as we do other games.”
Seattle Sounders FC 2
Head Coach Ezra Hendrickson
On the team’s youth persevering through the challenge of the match:
“We started seven guys who were 16 or younger tonight, which is good for the development of those guys. But we still think the goals we gave up were ones we shouldn’t have. They had the better of the play, they were the better team on the night, but the goals were avoidable. Even the fourth goal with the ball getting shot on the ground and the defender is turning his back towards the attacker. We were undermanned and they made sure we felt it.”
On what needed to change defensively:
“They controlled the game. We had two 16-year-olds playing in the middle of the park and it was just no match. We found ourselves chasing the game a lot. We got some chances. We had a one-v-one with the keeper with a 14-year old who just couldn’t catch up to. He just didn’t have the speed or the physical ability to take that one in. A couple of half chances for us. Other than that, they controlled the game.”
On the Paul Rothrock’s first professional goal:
“He’s a fighter. He just played 120 minutes in a U-18 playoff game. I talked to him on the bench and asked how much he could go for. He said 30. So he was able to get in for 25, and he got his goal. He worked hard while he was there. He’s got a big engine and a love for the game. When you work hard things happen. On his goal, he didn’t give up.”
On the international break:
“We’ll get our seven guys who were missing with the first team on Tuesday. We’ll just have to prepare ourselves for OCSC. They just beat us 4-3. It’s a game we think we can win and get our three points back.”
Midfielder Paul Rothrock
On his stamina after going 120 minutes in a U-18 playoff game:
“Coach asked how much I had in me. I said as much as you need me to do. I think it’s all mental. I just tried to push my legs as much as possible, and he gave me a chance to do what I do. I’m glad I could put it away.”
On his goal:
“I was looking for the ball on the throw in. It didn’t come to me so I turned to where the ball was and I saw the ball was getting caught under David Olsen and the center backs legs. I thought I could pick it off from them, and luckily I found an angle and tucked it away.”
On playing with S2:
“It’s really awesome how the Sounders move guys up and down. Our roster today was probably three-quarters amateur players. We had two 15 year-olds, a couple 16 year-olds, a couple 17 year-olds, and our whole bench were on my U-18 team. It’s great that they give us the opportunity to not only suit up for these guys but actually get to play. The movement that [Seattle Sounders FC Head Coach Brian] Schmetzer is doing up to the first team is very helpful.”
