QUOTE SHEET
Real Salt Lake 4-0 Philadelphia Union
Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, Utah
Saturday, July 13, 2019
Real Salt Lake
Head Coach Mike Petke
On their performance:
“I think first and foremost, we really spoke this week about when the game is won and it's not won on Saturday. It's won during the week in training, especially for us Tuesdays is our bulk day, our tactical day and Thursday as well. And Freddy reminded me after the game, that it was a great week of training so that's first and foremost. I thought we were incredibly balanced. And what we speak about a lot about when teams come here is to put our stamp on the game from the first minute, put them under pressure and a lot of times due to the quality of the opposition, it doesn't happen sometimes. Tonight it did. From the first moment, we had them on the back heel and we were evenly balanced and the game plan they followed almost to a T.
On the message he gives to his players after a game like this:
“This is the standard. That's the message. Someone like Savarino who was just at Copa America and he played incredibly. And there's been some buzz about him and he's come back, and he's been reenergized. And he's putting the work in on both sides of the ball. And I thought tonight was possibly his best game since we got him.”
On Philadelphia’s performance:
“They're a dangerous team. I watched a lot of them along with my staff and we were very cautious in how we were approaching this game with how high the lines were, with where we're going to step pressure up, with the approach when we have the ball. And I just felt that we hit on it, almost every avenue that we worked on this week and every specific detail that we spoke about. With how narrow they are in the diamond, with how interchangeable they are and to be aware defensively, not to be dragged in certain areas. And they followed it. Whether it was that they actually listened to me or they read the play in the moment? I don't know. But I think we executed it. I think that was because of how we played tonight and on our players where I think it made them look not what you usually would see because they're a very good team. We play them 10 times home and away. It's a coin flip on who wins the series. They’re a very good team and a team I respect a lot.”
On the team clicking at home:
“I mean, last year, we were I believe the best team in the West at home, and maybe a second or third or fourth in the league. This year, with LAFC and teams like that, that everybody's investing more and teams are improving on a yearly basis, we kind of fell out a little bit to be honest with you. And the last three games, we've put a real big emphasis on defending. We're at home, we want to get as many shutouts as we can. But like I said, tonight, it was great to see that we really put them on their heels from the first moment, when a lot of times teams come in here and most of the time to win the game in the first 15 minutes because of the altitude. And they know how difficult it's going to be. And they're putting us on our heels. I think over the last three games, we've taken a real commitment to team defending and recognizing where we are on the table. It's right around the playoff line, and every point counts. So you know, we have to really especially at home, clean up the points.”
On Mikes feelings of this week's game”
“I'm trying to think of some pretty big wins we've had here. And in the almost three years I've been here. I'm sure there were ones that I could point to that I can't think of right now. But this is the most complete game that I could recall. And it's great to see. And it's almost like scratching your head saying why can't we do this every week? I'd be the greatest coach in the world if I could figure that out and probably be in Europe somewhere. But that's always the the head scratcher is how do you sustain something? But we're going to look at the film and point some things out and, harp on the things that we do good this week.”
On Brooks Lennon:
“The one thing I've said a while ago to you guys was, it absolutely has nothing to do with Brooks not playing well in practice throughout the week or not earning a starting spot. It has to do with somebody else I'm seeing in that position that's playing better, that's more natural in certain things. So it's almost that he's been the odd man out and I felt for him in that, but I knew that when these situations came up, that he was going to step up and he was going to show up and play for us. And this is really now making myself and the coaching staff really sit back and think. It's going to be a competition in two key positions and not just one with Brooks that much more throughout the week.”
On injury timeline for Nedum and Sam:
“Sam, as I know, right now is conservatively six to eight weeks. Six in a perfect world, eight on the back end. Nedum, it's still kind of unclear. It's unfortunate that Nedum has to leave tomorrow and go to England for his (green card). So he'll be gone for a week to 10 days. So I guess what I'm saying with him is he's out for a week to 10 days and then I don't know what the injury is going to continue.”
Midfielder Albert Rusnak
On the performance:
“It says that we’re a very strong team at home. We’ve been a little unlucky, like in San Jose, I think we should have kept the unbeaten run going. It wasn’t meant to be in San Jose, for whatever reason. I think we showed tonight that we’re one of the best teams in the league, at home especially. Four goals, clean sheet, so there’s not much to talk about really.”
On his goal being a product of backpressing:
“We have a game plan for each game, and sometimes the game plan is to press and sometimes it is not to press, especially at home we would like to press every team we play against. I think today we were back pressing well, all the front guys. I think the guys from the back helped us going forward, so I think you could say that my goal was off of good pressure.”
On the loss affecting the team’s training:
“We’re trying to train at the top level every week. Sometimes it just doesn’t happen and sometimes you can have a good week of training and Saturday comes and we can’t do it, so at the end of the day only what we do on Saturday counts. None of the fans and no one else has seen the week’s training. On the other side, we had a good week of training. Everyone put in 100% and in some ways, you can say that’s the payoff, the result tonight.”
On moving forward:
“We have beaten some great teams here, Philadelphia is top of the East at the moment, we have beaten Atlanta and Toronto here, but we can play anyone here. When we play the way we did tonight, we can beat anyone. It’s not easy to do these kinds of performances week after week, but as long as we get three points from this coming Saturday, I’ll be happy.”
On Savarino’s return:
“I think he was just excited and hungry to play. He did play a couple games at Copa America, and the travel from there and getting back with us is not easy. This was his second game back, but he did show that he is important to the team.”
On tonight’s defense:
“It was all around a great team performance. The attackers helped with the defending and the defenders did their job at the back and also went forward, making passes forward between the lines. It was overall a great performance, we could be here for another 10 minutes talking about how great everything was. I don’t think anything went bad today.”
Defender Justen Glad
On Jefferson Savarino:
“That’s what Savarino brings to the table, he’s got quality and he showed that tonight.”
On attackers defending tonight:
“There is an energy, it kind of propels you forward. If you see your teammates working hard for you, you want to work hard for them and we had everyone working hard tonight.”
On getting close to scoring:
“Yeah, that’s tough but sometimes that’s how it happens, hopefully next time I can score a goal.”
On the teams last 5 home game:
“Yeah, for sure. One goal (allowed) in the last 5 games is phenomenal and again, that’s a credit to the team and all the hard work.”
Midfielder Jefferson Savarino (through a translator)
On having such an impact on the game:
“I always ask God to help me do a good job and I think today was a fantastic way that we played and fantastic result.”
On defensive performance after coming back from the Venezuelan National Team:
“It's something that the coaching staff has always talked about in training: being a good attacker and also doing your work defensively. It's also something that I worked on with the Venezuelan National Team, so that I can be a more complete player.”
On scoring so many goals during summer games:
“It's not something I plan, but I just try to do the best for my team. Sometimes I end up scoring two goals but it's just about doing the best I can to help my team through scoring goals.”
On comparing his performance to playing on the Venezuelan National Team:
“It's always an honor to represent your national team and it's always a very high level of play. Through that is where you raise your game and since I was able to continue playing with my national team maybe longer than some others this last break, it allows me to keep that level and I hope I can bring it here”
On the speed of gameplay compared to the Venezuelan national team:
“The intensity is always there with the national team and also playing here for my club team. Even today, it was a difficult game, and I was really tired at the end. That's probably why the coach took me out at the end. Until they got towards the end of the game, it was a tough challenge and so a lot of energy was still needed.”
On Coach Petke’s comments after he came off the field:
“Most of it is personal, and I can't really talk about it here but the last thing he said was that he was really proud of me and I did a great job in the game.”
Philadelphia Union
Head Coach Jim Curtin
Initial reaction:
“First and foremost credit to Salt Lake they outplayed us tonight in all phases. It's one of these games where we got out of our system. We haven't had a bad, flat performance like that all season. So again, certain moments in the year you have to move on to the next game, and, right now, there are no positives to take away from that one and obviously have to look forward to improving during the week. We will obviously watch the film and––actually we might burn the film––move on to next week. And then focus on Chicago.”
On Andrew Wooten’s game:
“He did a good job in short minutes. It was a little bit difficult because he had you a goal called back on his first touch, so he kind of went through a wide range of emotions, I'd imagine, and the VAR decision went against us - as a couple did tonight. From what I've heard, the Kreilach one is a red card, so difficult night all around. And again, credit to Salt Lake they outplayed us all over the field.”
On moving on from the defeat:
“This is always a tough place to come. We weren't up for it in any way, shape, or form. I could break down the first three goals, but they were almost laughable. So we'll move on to the next game. Obviously, we have Chicago at home, and then two difficult Eastern Conference games. So we'll need to improve and again, every point matters now let's pick ourselves up, move on to the next game.”
Forward Andrew Wooten
On feeling after first game:
“Happy for my MLS debut, but I wish it could have been better, but we gotta watch tape and see what went wrong and hopefully we can fix that next week.”
On team adjustments:
“I think that we will regroup from that loss, tough loss, but we will come back stronger and hopefully we can have the three points at home.”
Defender Fabinho
On adjustments that need to be made against Chicago:
“We have to forget. For me, I'm gonna have to forget this game today because today we lost our minds sometimes on the field. But we have to forget this game and start thinking about the next game. We know our team is good. Our team can change the bad starts and now we're going to Chicago and at our home we are strong. I think we will have three points.”
On playing against Eastern Conference opponents in the next 3 games:
“These are very important because we have to win them if we want to finish in first place. I think they are very good. The next game especially because it’s against our conference. We need those points because the last game we tied, the last home game. Today, we lost. I think we have to win, we have no other option. We have to win Saturday if we want to finish in first place. But I believe in our team and I believe in our guys. I think that Saturday we’re going to have a beautiful game.”
