Head Coach Adrian Heath
On the summary of the match against the New England Revolution…
“Yeah, it’s obviously very disappointing. I don’t think the Revs played any better in the second half than we did in the first, I just don’t think we probably played as well and didn’t make enough good decisions with the amount of the ball that we had. Obviously, disappointing first goal from Dayne’s [St. Clair] point of view. Second one’s a quality strike. I think they would find themselves extremely lucky to have got the three points.”
On not getting the second goal in the first half…
“Well, obviously on the road you are up one-nil the game is never won, we know that. I spoke to them at half time - I did say to the players, I expect a better New England team in the second half and I think they were better. I think their bigger players, the likes of [Carles] Gil and [Gustavo] Bou had a bit more of an influence on their team. But, I look at the general overall play and I’m not sure - Dayne’s [St. Clair] had a lot to do, in general - but I just think it’s one of those games that we’ll look back at and think we should’ve taken something from that game.”
On Dayne St. Clair’s performance tonight…
“There are occupational hazards of being a goalkeeper. You make a mistake and invariably it ends up in the back of the net. He knows it was a mistake. As I’ve said, he’s been outstanding for us, so he'll get over it. He’ll get over the mistake. I know he won't dwell on it and won't let it affect him, and we’ll carry on as we are.”
On Dayne’s distribution throughout the match at New England…
“Yeah, but we are all over you know. We had a situation where we put Kervin [Arriaga] out wide to go with it in the first half, then we played short because we put ourselves under pressure. It’s little things like that and they add up and they make a difference and little moments in games turn matches, and that’s what happened today.”
On what he wanted to see playing forward or backward…
“In the first half when we broke [up the field], we tried to be progressive not only with our forward running but with our forward passing. But I don’t think we, at times, we played square and back in the second half and it’s not an easy surface to play on. And then you end up scruffing the crosses and the clearances and you’ve invited the pressure back onto yourself. Overall when I look at the game at the game Andy [Pioneer Press reporter Andy Greder], I think we’ve probably been the better team today. As Bruce [Arena] said after, ‘you’ve got a really good team here’. And we have, and we have to take something from games when we dominate like we did in the first half.”
On intensity starting the second half…
“At no stage in the evening in general play was I ever really worried. As I said, their two DP’s really started to influence the game. [Gustavo] Bou, I can’t remember anything he did in the first half but in the second half he was all over the place. He was active, he was getting onto it, he was making plays, he was running in behind. Then that opens up more space for [Carles] Gil to get on the ball. Obviously, we knew that they would come out in the second half and be better than they were in the first. I just don’t think that we, we probably didn’t play at the heights as we did in the first and I don’t think that our counterattacking play and our approach play was probably as neat and tidy and as precise as it was in the first.”
On potential transfer market moves in next window…
“We’re always on the lookout and we’ve got some space on the roster and we’ve got some money to bring somebody in, and if that somebody’s available and the right player and the right price comes in, we would look at it. But I’m not going to go into the specifics of which positions.”
Defender DJ Taylor
On the mood in the locker room after the game…
“Definitely disappointed. It’s a tough one to swallow. I think we came here and played really well, especially the first half. I thought we were in control for most of the game. It kind of feels we kind of just let them back into the game. I think regarding our performances, we definitely should’ve got three points from this.”
On the goals conceded and Dayne St. Clair’s performance…
“Yeah, I think it’s tough. Obviously, like, it took a deflection. I think it almost went through my legs and also hit off Boxy’s [Michael Boxall] legs as well. It’s tough for a keeper to react to a deflection. I think other than that he’s been outstanding for us. Guys on our team, we miss shots, we miss plays all the time. Unfortunately in this position he misses one, you know, we pay for it. I don’t take nothing, no blame against him but you know I think he just keeps moving forward and we keep moving forward as a team.”
On the direction of the play in the second half…
“I think the main thing was that we were kind of losing it in bad spots at certain times. Certain periods we were giving the ball away in spots where as soon as New England got it they were just counter-attack with their pacey attackers. So that really hurt us. I think like I said, it’s really more our fault. Just losing the ball in bad spots. I think we could always play forward more. Adrian [Head Coach Adrian Heath] always harps that into our training, so I would agree with him as well. But like I said, the main thing was that we were giving the ball up too easily and that’s what was hurting us.”
On Emanuel Reynoso’s penalty goal…
“I think he’s just super tricky. He waits to the last second for the keeper to lean and then he just picks his spot. His technique is very good. I mean you even see kind of with his hips even on the field when he’s dribbling at people it’s so hard to read him and figure out which way he’s going. He always beats someone even though they are trying to force him one way. I think he’s just a special talent and especially from six yards away he’s always going to put that away against any keeper.”
On what the team needs to do to turn things around…
“I think it’s just re-focus on the mentality of winning. We obviously are playing good enough. We’re not getting the results, so there is more that we as a team need to do. And it’s obviously been either our mistakes or our own level that’s stopping us from winning I feel like. I think it’s just letting this sit for a little bit, but we’re always right back to it next session. Tuesday when we get back at it everybody’s with this winning mentality because we know we have a tough stretch. This tough stretch will define our season, so it’s kind of win or go home at this point mentality. That’s the main thing we are going to focus on is just keep working together and creating that killer mentality, especially in the final third as well.”
On any potential chances that stood out…
“I think you can always say if we score in the first half two or three goals that the game would be completely different. I think soccer just goes like that. It’s a little unfair. I think maybe Luis’ [Luis Amarilla] chance that we had. The keeper made an amazing save. It was close, but Luis had a good strike so I can’t fault him for that at all. I think it’s just us finding that little knack of putting teams away. Like I said, it’s kind of developing more of a winning mentality where we’re not teams back in the game and we’re crushing them two, three zero especially when we get our chances.”
