QUOTE SHEET
Real Salt Lake 0-3 Los Angeles Football Club
Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, Utah
Tuesday, June 11, 2019
Real Salt Lake
Assistant Coach Freddy Juarez (Head Coach Mike Petke was unavailable due to mandatory US Soccer Pro coaching license course.)
On the younger guys playing tonight:
“We were just talking about that. The last time we played Tate was against LAFC, but we were structured more of a defensive (mindset) sitting back. So we didn't really get to see his attacking qualities. Tonight he looked a part of it. Physically, it didn't look like he was outmatched by opponents, obviously, tactically, and technically any player can continue to grow, especially as a younger player, but I thought he had some good moments; got into good positions for service. Maybe the final product wasn't there, which I think was the case on a few occasions with other players, but overall, we're happy with Tate. That’s good for us to see - that it's someone else that you can count on. Brody, I thought did well. Those are two of the top wingers in the league, and Brody held his own. You're asking him to deal with some isolations, at the same time, try to give us some width in attack and then this team counter attacks very well. As soon as you lose it, their first option is forward and they basically eliminate five or six players with one pass. Now you have Brody trying to track back. He had a good, honest effort. I think the staff and players that were in the field would all agree that they did a pretty good job for us tonight.”
On the team’s competitive spirit:
“There were moments that were good, and then there were moments that we could have maybe been, ‘this is home, and we've got to be a little bit tougher,’ and not just one or two players - eleven guys, and the guys that get subbed in. Definitely there were some moments that there was good fighting spirit, you saw the reaction. We're getting and creating some chances and getting some guys in the box. It wasn't a great game, or we'd be talking about something different, but it was something that we took very serious. It was something that we got some young guys in there and we got some guys that were coming out of injuries some very important minutes and fitness. We just wish we would have done a little bit better for them, for the fans, and honestly for the team.”
On bringing in Nedum and Luke:
“We started to fatigue a little bit and the way they create a big overload with the center backs, dropping two sixes and the way we're playing, it was hard for the nine and ten to try to contain that. So, we said, ‘okay, we're losing, let's go three in the back, let's try to get some wing backs up a little higher, two forwards and a ten and try to now neutralize a lot of that buildup.’ When we did it, I think right after that we had two or three occasions where we actually stole the ball and got into good areas. But again, the team's good. You try to make some changes where you can try to neutralize some of their strengths but they also have other strengths and then kind of counter that. It was an okay move. You take a risk because now you're leaving a center back isolated with Rossi, center back isolated with Vela, their number nine isolated with your center back. If you don't win the ball, that's a risk you take. Now you get one on ones with 60 yards of field to go to the goal.”
On preparation and getting results for mid-season tournaments:
“We wanted a result. We thought we put a good team together. It wasn't a full strength team. I don't think they had a full strength team. I think they might have been missing two starters, if I'm not mistaken to international duty. We thought we put a good enough team together. Yes, you love when you play the best in the league at you know as far as standings go, you hope that you can put your strongest team again, because it was going to be a tough match from the start. As soon as we drew them, we knew it was going to be a tough match. We've had success with them last year in the playoffs and we thought we did a good job going on earlier in the season, where they beat us with the center back scoring in the last minute or so. I thought we started off well today, and then you know, their quality has a lot to do with what we had to adjust to and stuff. But overall, it was a good game because to answer your question, we wanted to be competitive, we want to win. It helps us guys that are coming back. Kyle's coming back, Everton’s coming back, they get rhythm, it helps us playing some young guys. We put in Julian; you can't get that experience at training. You have to let them feel the speed and the strength and the competition that he's played. He only got, I don't know, seven, eight minutes out there. That's hard to replicate anywhere else, so a lot of positives. I could sit here and tell you negatives but I think there were more positives and that now gives us a valuable game leading into Chicago. The guys get a little bit better and get us back into a rhythm of games.”
Forward Tate Schmitt
On his role in the match:
“I tried my best to create width for us, to keep space for Kyle and Everton and move the ball. There were some times we were trying to switch the ball to my side to switch the point of attack. We found some opportunities where we were successful, but those little things are what we’re going to continue to work on in training.”
On his shot on goal:
“It was a good buildup, Brody had a nice ball back post, I kind of delayed my run, and it was a good save. It’s unfortunate.”
On LAFC’s second goal:
“You don’t want to concede goals. We were trying to build some momentum. They found one of those weak side midfielders coming in and we were a little too far back.”
On playing LAFC:
“Any opportunity to play LAFC is a good opportunity when you’re playing against one of the best teams and we want to compete to be the best. We did what we could do to slow them down and create havoc and possess the ball and find opportunities. We did find some opportunities but we have to be able to defend harder so we can have more possession of the ball.”
On playing the Open Cup:
“It’s a little unique to be in the Open Cup. It’s one of those one-off games where you have to be your best. We had some guys out for international duty and Mike was out. We tried to put our best lineup out, I feel like we had some opportunities but we have to fix some things.”
On attacking strategy:
“We wanted to have the ball. The first thing we were doing was making sure we were compact and shifting side to side so they can’t break us down. Sometimes when they’re keeping possession for so long they are the ones with the energy and we’re defending and shifting. We wanted to, we didn’t just want to be that counter attacking team but sometimes you have to stretch them and be able to get the line up.”
Midfielder Luke Mulholland
On what the Open Cup is like:
“We treat every game as serious as the next one. Obviously, the mindset is just knockout football, so you’ve just got to treat it as a one-and-done. We tried our best to get the win, but LAFC, you’ve got to tip your hat. They’re a quality team and we really put ourselves in a hole.”
On what the team can take away from the game:
“Before the break, going into the break, it wasn’t ideal — we had the two road games, so we were looking for a response tonight and we weren’t happy with the result, so we have to just nitpick again what went wrong and what we can improve on. We’ve got to take it on the chin and move forward in a positive direction.”
On how the team responds when players are out:
“The response that you’re hoping for is every player that gets the opportunity to play is going to take advantage of it and work as hard as they can so they can say to the coach, ‘Hey, I want to be playing the next game.’ Just because we’re missing players with international duty and, obviously, the young lads were called up, you can’t use that as an excuse. This is your squad, this is where everyone has an opportunity to be accounted for.”
On the team’s competitive spirit:
“Obviously, I didn’t start the game. When I came into the game, it definitely looked like a lot of the guys were tired, they’d all worked hard, put the effort in, but sometimes goals change games and the quality can sometimes outweigh the effort. I would have loved to have started, but I believe everyone that started tonight gave it their all. No complaints.”
On the experience for the young players being on the same field as players like Carlos Vela and Adama Diomande:
“I’m sure it’s something they can be proud of to be on the same field, but at the same time, you don’t want to give the opposition too much respect. Teams shouldn’t be beating us three-or-four- zero, if I’m being honest. Good work, quality side. We’ve got to have that belief that we can step on the field and go toe-to-toe and we’ve proven that in the past. The last couple games, obviously. Tonight was just not our night.”
LAFC
Head Coach Bob Bradley
Initial reactions to win:
“We always talk about how Open Cup is important and we were disappointed last year to lose in penalties in the semifinals. And everybody was excited to get started this year. With the schedule in June, it allowed us to play pretty close to our regular lineup. But it was also good to get some other guys in. I was really happy for Pablo Sisniega making one really big save at 1-0. So that's great for his confidence. He works really hard and all his teammates really appreciate him getting the chance and seeing him do well. Good for Lee getting the start getting the goal. And then at the end Fito comes in and cracks a free kick and leads to the third goal. So a lot, a lot of nice things for us.”
On team mentality coming to Utah:
“We certainly understand that it's a difficult place to play because RSL has a strong home record, always. But we feel like we have a good team and the mentality to go away from back to California and still understand what it takes to play our football and play well. It's something that we talked about a lot. And was especially given that it was the beginning of the Open Cup.”
After last year’s elimination, thoughts coming into game:
“We certainly know that different than the regular season Open Cup, if you don't play well, and you lose you're out. So that got mentioned a few different times. Nice to hear players saying at each other. So certainly it was on their minds. Wherever I've been, you get into the routine of the season, and you enjoy going week to week. But then Cup matches are a little different kind of challenge that come in the midst of the season. I think it's something that if you lay it out there the right way with the players, and if everybody's on board at something that can make the team better.”
On first choice line-up:
“It certainly worked out this week. I think the next game is next week. So for us, we have a slow month of June. So it was important to win tonight and have another match. Then we don't get back into league play until June 28. But I would also want to point out that last year, we also tried to put a really good team on the field for every Open Cup match. As a club, we want to go into every Open Cup match and understand that it's really important to our fans. You can tell that because we have traveling fans tonight that are cheering for us all game and knowing that they're as committed as they are and hearing them every game then certainly it's the responsibility on all of us to make sure that we treat the competition with real respect.”
On being fouled as a strategy against LAFC
“Every team has their own idea. We tried to create some fluidity, we tried to have a game where the ball is moving more and more as the game moves. When we lose it we react fast. We try to close down and win balls with interceptions and not just make fouls. But we know that there's going to be teams that try to knock us out of our rhythm. And then the responsibility is always on us to handle that not let it get in the way and keep trying to get control connecting-passes and play the way that we like to play.”
On Carlos Vela and his leadership
“Every game Carlos makes a difference. I mean, there's not one player or opponent that doesn't have incredible respect for what he's all about. So he is playing at such a high level. He sets a perfect example for his teammates every game. And it's nice to see. He plays with a really good way about him. He's got a personality. He smiles, even when he gets fouled. He's not somebody to let it get in the way of anything. So I mean, I think all of us just have a tremendous amount of respect for the way Carlos goes about it. And we're really lucky that he's our leader.”
On Vela’s team and coach chemistry:
“I get along really well with Carlos and enjoy working with him. It's a real pleasure because he's a great guy comes in every day with a smile on his face. He's a great teammate. And yeah, I mean, I try to find ways to challenge every player to engage them into help them, but think [Carlos] gets the credit.”
