Head Coach Adrian Heath
On if he’s pleased with the point…
“Second half, they obviously put us under a lot of pressure as we expected and they put a lot of balls in our box, but I think if you look at clear, good chances we probably had the better ones. I thought first half we were really dangerous on the counterattacks, perhaps didn’t make enough of it and that final ball at times was maybe not what it should have been. But to come here on the opening day, perform like we’ve done, to drag them off their shape as much as we did, especially in the first half, it bodes well for us. Before the game we expected a point maybe, but in reflection I think we probably had the better chances.”
On how mentality changed with the starting XI changing…
“Well, we had a great preseason and liked knowing we had virtually everyone available, apart from a couple of players. And then this week, you know, Chase [Gasper] got that concussion in Portland, Romain [Metanire] felt a little twitch in his hamstring again so we were not prepared to take the risk with that, and Wil [Trapp] didn’t really respond as much as we thought. At no stage last week did we think that Wil wouldn’t have been available. But the guys that come in had done great. You know, Luis [Amarilla] had a chance early on, I thought Kervin [Arriaga] had a great debut in midfield. It’s difficult in there against a team that plays with a diamond, so they’ve got plenty of bodies in the middle of the pitch and I thought we dealt with it really, really well. I thought [Oniel] Fisher did a really good job, as we expected, to come in and be everything we thought he’d be – experienced, got forward at the right time – so no I felt there was a lot of busy things that had changed for us.”
On giving up 11 corners and the recycled ball…
“Well set piece defending was generally very good, but you consider the size that they have, you know with the big [Cory] Burke and then you got Jack Elliott, [Jakob] Glesnes, you know they’ve got some big whole units in there and their delivery is excellent. [Kai] Wagner puts great balls in the box, so we defended the first one well, second one I don’t think we can pleased, especially because of the goal, but apart from that I thought we did really well their set pieces. Because one thing we spoke about before the game was not giving too many fouls away and I felt like we did, especially the second half and, as I said, Wagner’s got great quality, but we did well, we defended it well.”
On Robin’s consistency up top…
“Well you know considering the off-season, I don’t think people realized that the two months he was in a forest somewhere in Finland. So, you know it’s not been an ideal rest and recovery for him, he’s probably still not over his rest, that’ll be the next few weeks for him. But he’s come in and trained really hard. The one thing we know, that if we can get him service in the box evidently, he finishes. I was a little bit disappointed second half because I thought he had a couple of occasions, you know when it’s on his left foot he can open the goal up, I thought he could have done better. But no, he got a great shift in, as he always does, really always professional. So if we can get him enough opportunities in and around the far post, he’ll do what we expect which is about between eight and 12 goals, which he always does.”
On when he knew he had to go with an improvised lineup and if Arriaga was a late addition…
“[Kervin] Arriaga’s paperwork came through while we were on the team bus going to the hotel last night. So, we got clearance to play him, got his ITC and his visa whilst we were in the air on the way over. You know we were bringing him in the hopes and integrate him in the group even if he wasn’t playing. It was obviously welcomed use for us and for the kid, I thought he had a fantastic debut considering he’s only been with the guys a few days training with them.”
On Bongi Hlongwane potentially getting the start, if Kervin wasn’t available…
“Well that’s for people to find out. Honestly, there’s no point in speculating what might have been. In the end everyone was available and you know, I wanted to get Kervin [Arriaga] in with the team because I felt his physically and his size would have been invaluable today as it proved. He got his head on the end of three or four really dangerous balls into our box, so had we not done that, then we would’ve changed it around and maybe done something else.”
On the final ball in final third…
“There was a couple of times I thought we could have broke and we waited, and you know let them get back. I thought Adrien Hunou could have taken that ball on because, you know, because he was completely clear, although it’s a really good effort and a really good save. I think that if Adrien were to see it again he would see how clear he was and maybe taken it a lot closer. I think that Robin [Lod] had a couple of occasions where I would’ve preferred it, rather than pass it, I would have preferred him to chance his own, cut it in on his left foot like he does. So there was one or two instances, but we’ll go over it, we’ll have a little look and we’ll speak to the players about it, but overall I’m delighted with the first game.”
On the two outside backs, Dibassy and Fisher, performance…
“It’s obvious, [Oniel] Fisher’s an experienced player, he’s played right back, he’s played left back for a lot of games in the league and he proved that today. Found good spots to defend, made a couple of really timely interventions. And [Bakaye] Dibassy, same again, joined in, great foot-great ball down the side for [Franco Fragapane] for the first goal. These are experienced players, they know their role, they know what’s expected of them and I thought they did it.”
On the attack on the opening goal, more cohesion…
“Obviously good goal, and as I’ve always said we’ve got intelligent players who can create and score goals in the final third. I think that the trick was Fragapane looked to see how they were pressing and reacted to that, and then he had the extra touch and that opened it up a little bit for the people in the middle. Needless to say, good run from Luis, leads to create a great finish. Blake, from my money, is one of the best goalkeepers in the league, but you know other than that no problem…good finish. We’ve got plenty to work on (Jacob), you know this group has not been together an awful lot, when you throw Bongokuhle in there, and then you through Luis in there, so there is plenty to work on, a lot to work in and out of their penalty areas with combination play and that’ll be a focus during this next week’s training.”
Midfielder Robin Lod
On how what his off-season was like…
“Yeah, I mean, I was doing my military service. My call in Finland and just did everything, what they asked me to do there and just at the same time, trying to keep myself as in good shape as I could. Hopefully, I get a few weeks to play with the team and then get to Portland to have to get, before the season. So I felt pretty good coming into the season, so I’m happy on the condition I’m in.”
On if the team deserved a point or three…
“I mean, of course heading into the game we were looking to get three points because I feel like in the beginning of the season, it’s easier to play on away games than in the middle of the season. So, I mean, I don’t say one point is bad. I feel like as long as the season goes, I mean these points are going to be crucial. So I’m happy for the one point, but I mean, we had enough chances to get the three points, but yeah I think it’s a very, very solid point.”
On the lineup chnage due to the injuries…
“I mean it’s part of the game, it will come, those injuries. I feel like our team this season is really good. We have a lot of good guys, we have a lot of depth. So I feel like if we’re missing a few guys, there’s always a few guys who are happy to come inside and do their job, so I feel confident.”
On the opening goal and partnership with Luis…
“Last as I saw that Fraga [Franco Fragapane] is running down the left side, I always need to be in a situation to let myself get inside the box to get on the places to score. I think pretty early, Fraga saw my run. So around on the so called second play, I mean it was pretty good. Luis [Amarilla] didn’t get the ball, but I think at the same moment he might have confused the defense to give me more time and space, so yeah I got a good kick on the ball and I’m happy for the goal.”
On if he was surprised that the ball from Franco Fragapane came to him and not Luis…
“No, I think when the ball was getting out from Fraga’s leg, I felt like it was coming towards me. Yeah, I didn’t think that Luis [Amarilla] was going to get it because the goalie getting behind him.”
On the hole in the midfield in the second half…
“I feel like it starts because it’s the first game of the season. I feel like all the players and teams are not in the best shape they can be. Eventually at the end of the games, the team is going to stretch out and really early in the second half, if there’s no midfield then it’s so back and forth, back and forth. I feel like it this is just because it’s so early in the season, so it happens.”
On if it’s a relief to get the first game under his belt before returning home to Allianz Field…
“I don’t think this is something to construct. I feel like it will be our first game home, and everybody’s moving forward, with the first game over now. As a second game, I feel like everybody’s happy to get back home. Maybe it helps a little bit to get the first game out of the way, to get the nerves out. So, I feel so happy to go play in Allianz Field, I love playing in front of our fans, and the atmosphere is always so electric, but I’m excited to go back to play at Allianz Field and yeah, I feel really confident.”
