Head Coach Adrian Heath
On the mentality of the team after going down a man against Club Puebla…
“We take a lot confidence from it. The fact that, as you say, we played an hour with 10 men against a good side [Club Puebla]. As I said after the game, I thought the application, the enthusiasm and desire to run and to go and get a result was all there for everybody to see. Really, really pleased and proud of the players with their performance, but as I said after the LA [LAFC] game: that has to be the norm. That energy level that we showed because not only does it affect the opposition, it affects our crowd as well. The atmosphere in the stadium was great again. So, more of the same on Thursday.”
On the performances of Emanuel Reynoso and Bongokuhle Hlongwane and their connection…
“Both are in really good form at this moment in time. Rey’s [Emanuel Reynoso] been terrific since he came back into the fold. [In] training he’s been really good. And Bongi [Bongokuhle Hlongwane], we spoke about it last year, if he can start to add the goals now to the undoubted work and the qualities that he has – because he does an incredible amount of work off the ball, both sides of the ball, defensively – now he’s starting to get right in the meat of it all where it’s one-touch finishes. It was a great finish for his first one [goal] and obviously he’s been improving his heading. It was a great ball from Rey with his right foot, which is unusual, but it was a great finish. And Rey has been terrific in every game since he’s come back. I say it a million times, but scoring goals and making goals is the hardest thing in football, that’s why they [goal-scorers] go for the most money. Invariably, it’s why you get paid the most money. But Rey’s come back and done both particularly well at the moment.”
On the importance of a shutout for the team, especially the defense after going down a man…
“I wanted them [the defense] to get a clean sheet because they deserved it. Our defensive shape, the defensive block was terrific. Kervin [Arriaga] went in as an emergency center back and did really, really well. It was pleasing for the group because I thought they earned a clean sheet.”
On preparing for Chicago Fire FC…
“We know that they’ve got a lot of quality. I think Frank’s [Klopas] done a really good job since he’s taken over. They look a little bit freer, they look as though they’re enjoying the football at the moment. They’ve got the quality. They’ve got one of the leading goal-scorers in the history of the game in Kei [Kamara]. They’ve got the kid [Brian] Gutierrez, who I like. Obviously [Xherdan] Shaqiri looks as though he’s enjoying his football now, playing like a three-role behind the striker. I think they’ve won their last three games, so they’re coming in here with plenty of confidence. But I know Frank well enough, we’re good friends, he’ll know that coming in here is not going to be easy for them also. As I always say, if we play well, approach the game in the right manner, then we give ourselves an opportunity to win the game.”
On containing Xherdan Shaqiri and Fabian Herbers…
“It’s difficult because [Fabian] Herbers has played two or three positions so he’s got utility. He’s quick, he makes things happen, he runs forward. And [Xherdan] Shaqiri’s always proved that if he gets time and space in the final third, he can generally either deliver a pass or score a good goal. He’s got two really good feet, he’s a scorer of great goals as well. So, we’ll have to contain him and as I always say, it’s always about concentration when you play really good players. Make sure you’re concentrated when we’ve got the ball in their attacking half, we call it preventative marking, make sure we do that well and we give ourselves a good chance.”
Midfielder Wil Trapp
On the 4-0 shutout over Club Puebla…
“From the beginning, I felt like our intensity and our focus toward trying to just meet the level of intensity that the game was going to bring – the first five minutes there were some chippy fouls – but I thought our guys did a really good job of playing through it and understanding that it’s a game of 90 minutes. Our mentality was excellent from the first minute to the last minute: whether that’s up a man, whether that’s down a man, whether that’s up four goals or tied. I thought from the beginning to the end of the game, we committed to suffering together and working until the end.”
On if there was a mentality shift after Michael Boxall’s ejection…
“You almost have to double down on the mentality when that happens because you know you’re not going to have the ball as much. You know that it’s going to be difficult. We all looked each other in the eyes and understood that, ‘hey this is the reality of the match.’ What I thought was most impressive is we didn’t just sit back and take it. We had special players make special plays, of course, but beyond that I thought our guys were unbelievably committed to the task at hand, which was keeping the zero [shutout] and finding a way to score on the break, and we did that.”
On a four-goal scoring margin and how it affects the team entering the match on Thursday…
“I think we’re all firm believers in the sense of as soon as you relax and rest on your laurels, that’s when you can really fall into trouble. So, while it was great that we scored four, especially given the circumstances, the next game is just as important gearing up for, hopefully, moving on into the second round and what those games will entail for us.”
On the approach to Chicago Fire FC after playing there earlier this season…
“If we’re tracing it back to the game we played in April, we didn’t perform well. That sticks in a lot of our minds as something we want to remedy and this is the game to do so. In that first game we played against them, their pocket play, guys underneath the striker, and Kei [Kamara] built our hold-up play was really dangerous. Understanding that the box defending will be paramount. [Xherdan] Shaqiri is back in so you have a little bit more of even quality between the lines and understanding that they like to have the ball and they’re a team that’s confident in doing so. Again, the mentality of getting pressure on the ball, that front foot forward pressing will be key. When we have the ball, it’s really [about] pulling them apart and making those guys that don’t want to defend, defend.”
