QUOTE SHEET
Real Salt Lake 1-1 Chicago Fire
SeatGeek Stadium; Bridgeview, Illinois
June 22, 2019
Real Salt Lake
Head Coach Mike Petke
Initial thoughts:
“It was a tough goal to give up early on. Nick was screened obviously and a cheeky put-away. We worked on some very specific things this week in training and one thing I really saw in the first half and in large chunks of the second half, was overloads out wide. To draw them in and play out, we created several good chances here and there. It was a very well fought and gritty point on the road.”
On conceding early and fighting back:
“Resiliency and the composure to fight back was great. We had a lot of the ball in the first half to create our opportunities. It was an obvious penalty kick and then for me, the balance of the team was the strength of our team tonight. Not leaving gaps, specifically centrally with the balance between Kyle and Everton and then when Nick came on. With a good attacking team like Chicago where they were able to connect a lot of passes, I thought our balance was good to deny them. But it shows that we have the resilience to go down early then fight back into the game. Maybe we got stretched trying to find the goal, but tonight was good.”
On the composure and frustration from the players:
“Calls could’ve gone both ways for both sides tonight. At the beginning of the year, Justin Portillo got a red card for something similar to what happened at the end of the match tonight. I’m not advocating for red cards, but we’ve received several for similar occurrences. We had a guy in on goal past the last man if that tackle doesn’t come in. The linesman was right in front of the play and the fourth official. But I know MLS is a tough job, I get it. Aside from that, the frustration from a lot of the situations from both sides is alright but I think for the most part we kept our composure. And to end on a corner kick like that, is classic.”
On what the team did well in the second half:
“Our balance was great. The distance between lines and not having central space vacated, and not having two players on the same side and in the same channels. Off balancing a little bit to cut off some passing lanes. At times when they go direct – for how good a team they are with the ball at their feet – our ability to read it and pick up the second ball was good tonight. For the most part I thought it was executed well tonight.”
Goalkeeper Nick Rimando
On his yellow card:
“I was just trying to talk to the referee. I thought if I had the armband on I had to talk to the referee about the call. He didn’t like that so much.”
On his late save to preserve the point:
“First off, the guys had a gutsy performance. To concede early and then tie it up and get the point was great. From the start to the 95thminute how we controlled the game was good. On my save late, it was just a corner kick that came out and tried to make myself big and fortunately I made the save.”
On earning the road point:
“It was gutsy performance. We put in a good performance on both sides of the ball, especially on the defensive side. We made the tackles when we needed to. I think we out-fouled them and that’s what we need to do on the road. To at least get a point on the road after three-straight on the road bodes well coming back to a home game.”
On a gutsy performance:
“The guys put in the work tonight. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy and we performed from beginning to end. Winning tackles and head balls and reading the game made it a great performance defensively for us tonight.”
Midfielder Albert Rusnák
On stoppage time and the referee:
“I asked him how does he end the game as we’re about to take a corner kick at the end of the game? It wasn’t that we were taking our time, rather I went to get the ball to take the corner. He decided to end the game and that’s what I’m not happy about.”
On conceding early and fight back:
“It’s a hard-fought point on the road. Any point on the road is good. Of course, we want three, but we’ll take the road point. We’ll probably maintain the same spot in the table with home matches to play which will be crucial for us.”
On the upcoming home matches:
“We want to control the game with the ball, be solid at the back, not give too many chances away. At home we have to be a fortress and be on the front foot and take three points.”
