Head Coach Adrian Heath
On the positive road-trip last week…
“Got a good vibe about the group. Very competitive, got a lot of players who are chomping at the bit trying to get back in the team. We’ve got a lot of good things at the moment.”
On the penalty call against Ethan Finlay at Vancouver…
“I thought the last 15 minutes of the first half and all of the second half, excellent play. We looked dangerous all evening. And that was the disappointment of conceding the penalty with, virtually, the last kick of the game. Whether it was or it wasn’t, it was given and I don’t think it was a just reward for the players for what they did last week. Because three games in a week is never easy. Going to LAFC, who probably ask more questions of you than anybody else. The mental side of the game as well. Overall, really, really pleased with the performances and commitment to the guys.”
On one loss in 12 games and what he attributes to the good run of form…
“Having good players, really good mentality. Not beating ourselves, which you’ve heard me say before. But more importantly, there’s a lot of belief in the team at the moment and a lot of competition for places.”
Defender Brent Kallman
On the positive road-trip last week and the feeling amongst the group…
“We feel good. We can take a lot of positives away from the last week. We’re all disappointed with how the [Vancouver] game ended, there’s a lot of controversy with the call and everything like that but, if we look at the second half of that game, there is a lot to be proud of. In the first half against Vancouver, I think we looked tired, you could see it. We were sluggish, guys looked like they couldn’t really sprint and in the second half, at altitude usually teams start to fade when they travel but, we won all the second balls, we owned them that second half. We did, we really did. We were winning all the second balls and all the duels so that’s something the guys can be really proud of heading into this week.”
On the mental aspect pushing through the physical difficulties in that second half…
“It has to be. It has to be mental. Mind over matter. Guys just biting down on it and doing the work and getting it down. The mentality of the group is in a really good place, especially when it comes to work rate and defensive responsibility, which is something we’ve talked about getting back.”
On his performance in the last few games…
“I’m pleased. I think physically, I’m getting there. I thought I had a decent preseason but when the first game came around, I wasn’t 90 minutes fit. Even when I go back and watch some of the earlier games this season, I can just see that I’m, physically, not all the way there. Now I feel better. I’m proud of the way I’ve stepped in.”
On facing Houston back at Allianz Field…
“Huge. Massive. We can’t be dropping points at home, we know it. Especially with how tight the [Western Conference] is. We just gotta do what we do. Be on the front foot, use the crowed, get the crowd in game and we’ll be fine.”
Midfielder Ethan Finlay
On the positive road-trip last week and the feeling amongst the group…
“Still disappointed, obviously. We wanted to leave that trip with at least four points and didn’t happen. Getting points on the road is always a positive thing so we’ll take the points and we’ll focus on Houston this weekend.”
On the penalty call that shouldn’t have been…
“I’ve head too many people tell ‘it’s not your fault, it is what it is. Nothing you can do about it. The referee makes the decision.’ It’s tough to not feel a little personal responsibility for the play. You try to replay it a million times on what I could have done differently. I think you got to continue to come out, you gotta make the play, you gotta be in that spot and you have equal right to that ball. It is what it is. We unfortunately have to live with it and we move on. Hopefully get one that maybe we shouldn’t get down the road.”
On his performance the last two games…
“It’s been great. I’ve been in this league long enough to know you have to, sometimes, wait your turn. When you fall out form, it’s important to find your form out here, Monday through Friday and I think I’ve been able to do that. Stick with it. Be rewarded with some playing time, some starts. It’s been nice to contribute, last game and getting the goal but continue to do what I bring to the team and that’s stretching defenses, that’s bringing energy, great defensive shape. I gotta continue to do those things and do my job, whether it’s in a starting role or coming off the bench.”
On what his role is when he’s not actively starting…
“I’m always going to enter the week with goal is to push the guys around you, whether you’re the starting guy or not. We usually don’t know what the lineup is going to look like until later in the week so I always try to approach it the exact same. Whether you come off a game that you’re starting, you start all over. A new week. It’s a blank canvas. Everybody has an opportunity to perform and to show that they deserve an opportunity to play come Saturday. And that’s what I think is really talented and special about our group is that we have guys that have plenty of starts under their belt, plenty of minutes in this league and we can mix it up every week with different lineups. With as many games as we have and midweek games we’ll continue to have, like we had last week, we’re going to see that.”
On facing Houston back at Allianz Field…
“It’s super important. Obviously anytime teams are going to have more minutes in their legs than us you look at it as an advantage but you still have to go out there and take care of business. Houston is a tough team. Always very good on the break, traditionally so. We’ll have to be aware of that but I expect us to come out and control the game from the get-go and behind 19,000-plus fans, that should be pretty easy.”
On facing former teammate Darwin Quintero…
“Darwin [Quintero] had some great year so it will be nice to see him. He’s a very talented player. A guy who great feet, very quick and we understand what his strength and weaknesses are so hopefully we can exploit that if he sees the field come Saturday.”
On the Gold Cup Final…
“I did. I almost woke our baby up to be honest with you, as I was celebrating. My wife was asleep, she couldn’t make it to extratime. It was an awesome result. Makes you proud to be an American and to see where Greg [Berhalter] is taking the team over the last two months, it’s been awesome. Lot of great performances from a lot of young men that are going to play some big roles for this country going forward. Excited and congratulations to all those guys.”
