Head Coach Adrian Heath
On the great run the team has been on, one loss in 10 games…
“Good play. Good defensive mentality from the full group, not just the back four and the keeper and two central midfielder players. The collective has been outstanding. As you said, 21 points from the last ten games. We’re pleased with the run that we’re going on but we know it’s going to be difficult tomorrow night.”
On how the crowd played a role in the win over Portland Timbers…
“The last two games, I actually thought the Seattle game – I came out after the game and said I thought the atmosphere was incredible. Like a playoff game. Incredibly, I thought the crowd were better against Portland. It was like an end of season, win or go home typo of atmosphere. The crowd have been unbelievable the last few weeks but like I said to then players, they kept the crowd involved in the game. Played on the front foot, played with a lot of momentum, going forward, working the final third of the field, terrific setpieces. All of that accumulates into the crowd getting involved in the game. As much as the crowd were incredibly supportive, the fact that we were playing on the front foot in the opponents half, that gave the crowd something to cheer.”
On LAFC…
“They’ve got some really, really good pieces. Bob [Bradley] has put a really good team together, very attractive team to watch. Probably one of the most vibrant atmospheres in Major League Soccer. Their last two results weren’t what they expected but having watched the game, they predominately have most of the ball, most of the attacking moments against Portland, and they got done late on against Vancouver. They’ll be looking to put things right and we know it’s going to be difficult, always is there. One [the team] should relish, going and playing in that atmosphere.”
On LAFC’s last game against Vancouver…
“There are going to be moments when you’re going to have defend in numbers. Do your job properly. Don’t beat yourself. They do press all over the field, they’re very aggressive when they’re pressing. Can we break the press and can we look to play forward and go an play from there.”
On Eduardo Atuesta and the LAFC roster…
“Top, top players. They’ve got really good pieces. From our point of view, we know that in them transition moments, it’s really, really important. [Brian Rodriguez] is back now as well. Their front three is probably as potent as probably anybody within the league, and we know we’re going to have to… There are going to be times where we’re going to have ride our luck a little bit but the way we’re playing, there’s a lot of confidence within the group and if we pick our moments, use the ball wisely in their half of the field, I think we could cause them some problems.”
GOALKEEPER TYLER MILLER
On what he attributes to the positive defensive shift in this successful run…
“I think it’s defensive commitment lately. Everyone has been so determined to put in those strong performances and it hasn’t just been one game, or a couple games, it’s been every game that we’ve really shown up. Besides that Colorado game, everyone has really been ‘ok, we’re a strong team, starting with our defense,’ and that’s what’s going to carry us through the season and continue to bring us the results that we want. Everyone is still hungry for more, no one is really content. We’ve had a great last ten games but there is still a lot more that we want to achieve this year.”
On the defensive picking up the offense through some of the offensive struggles…
“I don’t think it’s something that we need to talk about, to be honest with you. It’s something that comes with the game. There’s going to be times where the offense picks up the defense and sometimes the defense picks up the offense but that’s part of being on a team. You’re going to have these challenges that each game is going to bring and it’s something that we understand and we know that if we can be solid all around the field, that we’re going to give ourselves the best chance to win. That’s what we’ve really focused on; being consistent and playing well, performing well and when you’re called upon, make a play. That’s really what it all comes down to.”
On facing LAFC on a short turnaround and his experience with the club in the past…
“It’s a place I’m excited to go back to and play in front of the fans there. I’ve always had a good relationship with them and I’m looking forward to stepping back in the Banc of California. They’re a really strong team. There is a reason that Bob [Bradley] is there and what they’ve been able to achieve over the last four years. It’s a Wednesday night game, so it’s going to be a game where the crowd is maybe like 10-15 minutes late because of LA traffic, that’s how it always was. But, sure enough, in those 15 minutes, it’s going to fill up and it’s going to be rocking. It’s always a loud and intimidating place to play and I always enjoyed that, being on that side of things. And now I’m going back on the other side of things. It’ll be a true test for us and if we want to continue to take steps forward, we have to go to a place like LAFC, on a Wednesday, and get a result and that’s what really what it comes down to if we’re going to have a successful season.”
On what makes Carlos Vela and Diego Rossi so special as players…
“They’re dangerous. They can hurt you in the first minute, they can hurt you in the 90th and they might have an off day but yet they show up for one play and that’s when they can lull you to sleep. They’re probably two of the most dynamic players that we have in this league and being on the same team, their chemistry and ability to combine, create things out of nothing is something that you don’t see that much in this league. They’re two players that we have to pay special attention to but they also have seven, eight other players on the field that can hurt us. It’s something where they’re in the upper echelon but yet, they have so many other guys that are dangerous. If we pay too special attention to them, then we forget about the other players and we can’t do that.”
MIDFIELDER EMANUEL REYNOSO
On his opinion of the atmosphere at Allianz Field, being used to La Bombanera of Boca Juniors…
[SPA] “¡Ah buenísimo! La verdad que me hizo recordar mucho a la gente de Boca, el fanatismo. Pudimos ganar de local y regalar un triunfo a los fans que es lo que necesitábamos y obviamente para seguir escalando arriba. Se sintió magnifico y espectacular.”
[ENG] “Oh, it’s great! Honestly, it reminded me a lot of the people in Boca, the fanaticism. We were able to win at home and give the fans a victory that we needed and to obviously keep climbing up. It felt magnificent and spectacular.”
On the differences he’s noticed within the team since the Colorado game in the games against Seattle and Portland…
[SPA] “Creo que en Colorado, fue un tiempo en que nos dormimos un poco, que nos confiamos. Era un partido para ganarlo, pero sabíamos que era muy difícil de visitante, y que iba ser durísimo. Pero creo que fue todo nuestro, el error, porque creo que el partido lo perdimos nosotros. Después bueno con Seattle sabíamos que también era un partido dificilísimo dónde teníamos que ganar para seguir posesionándonos muy cerca en la tabla. Jugamos contra el puntero. Sacamos ganas de adentro, hicimos una semana muy buena. Jugamos de local y teníamos que ganar y eso fue lo que hicimos. Fuimos a la cancha, salimos a ganar y por eso se nos dio el resultado.”
[ENG] “I think in Colorado, it was a game where we fell asleep a little bit, were we were overly confident. It was a game we could win, but we knew it would be difficult being the visiting team and that it would be very hard. But I think it was all ours, the mistakes, because I think we lost the game. Then with Seattle, we also knew it would be a very tough match that we had to win to move up in the table. We played against the first seeded team. We brought our desire, we had a great week. We played at home and we had to win and that's what we did. We went out to the pitch, went out to win and that's why we got the results."
On when he’s dropping to the defensive third to get the ball, if that’s on purpose or if it’s him looking to get the ball…
[SPA] “Me retan, me retan un poco, me retan. Me retan porque por ahí trato de ir a buscarlo muy abajo porque bueno uno necesita estar constantemente con la pelota y tratar de jugar. Pero el técnico por ahí me reta un poco y trato de hacer lo que me pide porque adentro la cancha tenemos que hacer la idea que él quiere. Es importante recibir la pelota más adelante. Por ahí recibo varias críticas del técnico. Tranquilo y trato de hacer lo mejor posible adentro.”
[ENG] “They call me out, they call me out a bit, they call me out. They call me out because there I try to go and look far down the field because well, one has to be consistantly with the ball and trying to play. But the coach calls me out a bit from there and I try to do what he asks because inside the pitch we have to execute the ideas he has. It's importante to receive the ball higher up the field. That's where I receive a lot of criticism from coach. But I’m calm and try to do the best I can on the field.”
On what he thinks of the next opponent LAFC…
[SPA] “Durísimo, durísimo. Va hacer un partido donde jugamos visitante, y tenemos que ir a sumar porque como con Portland que está cerca en la tabla, y ahora jugamos en Los Ángeles, quien también están muy cerca, entonces necesitamos sumar, tratar de siempre sumar y ojalá que podemos hacer un gran partido. El equipo está muy bien con confianza. Espero que podemos sacar un resultado muy bueno.”
[ENG] Tough, very tough. It’s going to be a game where we’re the visitors we have to come out with some points because, like against Portland, who were very close to us on the table, we’re going to Los Angeles and they’re close to us too, so we need to get a result, always and hopefully we can have a great game. We’re feeling good, lots of confidence within the group. I hope we can go and get a good result.”
On how he feels about the cross-country travel in the MLS…
[SPA] “Como decía por ahí, uno está acostumbrado porque en Argentina, por allí viajamos mucho. Se viaja mucho, seis, ocho horas, cuatro horas, es normal. Se viaja mucho, pero son viajes lindos donde uno tiene que estar tranquilo. Jugamos, como te decía, un partido importantísimo porque están muy cerca, estamos muy junto en la tabla entonces no va haber margen de error. Va hacer un partido muy difícil, muy trabajo, entonces tenemos que estar atento y preparado para lo que se venga.”
[ENG] “Like I said, over there you’re accustomed because in Argentina, we travel a lot. You fly a lot, six, eight hours, four hours, it’s normal. You travel a lot, but they're beautiful trips where one gets to be relaxed. We play, like I was telling you, an important match, because they're [LAFC] a lot closer, we're so close on the table, so there's no margin for error. It's going to be a difficult match, a lot of work, so we have to be ready and prepare ourselves for what's to come."
