Head Coach Adrian Heath
On the performance against Austin FC…
“I think we’ve played better lately, but we played against a really good team who make life difficult for you. They’ve got good players, certainly in attacking positions. They control a lot of the ball. They have a lot more possession than a lot of teams when they come into Allianz [Field]. Overall, delighted with the result and so pleased with the effort of everybody connected with the group.”
On keeping Sebastian Driussi in check…
“We spoke about… he doesn’t play like an orthodox ten. He plays more like an eight and he drops about. He was a big responsibility for Robin [Lod] and for Kervin [Arriaga] to fill them outside holes. I thought they did a really good job of that. I think he had a couple of shots later on. I can’t really remember him much else other than obviously the penalty.”
On watching tape with Kervin Arriaga and Robin Lod to prepare…
“When you play against a team that play three in there because they like a six and then [Alexander] Ring goes into an eight position, as [Sebastian] Driussi did, it’s a huge responsibility for the two central midfield players. I thought they were really, really disciplined with everything that they did.”
On the season Houston Dynamo has had…
“I said it when we played down there, I think their performances are better than their results have suggested. Every time I’ve watched them they’ve been in nearly every game. I just think that if we drop it a notch, and I’ve said this to our guys before and it’s not being disrespectful, if we play at 75-percent then generally we don’t win games. We’ve got to make sure we’re all fully prepared, putting in the same sort of effort and the same sort of enthusiasm and drive that we did this weekend. If we do, we give ourselves a good opportunity.”
On takeaways from the last time the club played Houston…
“I think the fact that they got out of jail didn’t they at the weekend with virtually the last kick of the game, so that will no doubt help their confidence. I just think we have to do more of the same. When we play on the front foot at home and get the crowd involved in the game, like we did at the weekend, it’s a really intimidating place to play.”
On how to contain a player like Fafa Picault…
“He’s incredibly quick and that’s the one thing you find incredibly difficult to defend against, his raw pace. They’ve got him and they obviously got Darwin [Quintero]. They’ve got [Sebastian] Ferreira who’s come in and looks like he’s got a goal in him. They’ll present their own problems and I know that we’re going to have to play well to win this weekend.”
On the contributions of Hector Herrera for Houston…
“I think they would have thought that they might have got a bigger boost from his inclusion, but certainly he looks as though he’s played really well when I’ve seen him. Obviously the best for him will come next year because he’s had a full season wherever he’s been. He’s coming in here late. He’s a quality player, always has been, and no doubt he’ll be ready for the weekend.”
On the atmosphere Allianz Field provides…
“It’s a two-way thing isn’t it? We can’t just rely on the crowd turning up and getting behind us and giving us that push that they did at the weekend. They respond to what we do on the field. I always say that to the players. That’s our responsibility to show that we care, to show that it’s important for us and then other people will follow us. It’s a two-way street, but we’ve got to do our job first.”
Defender DJ Taylor
On takeaways from the game against Austin FC…
“I think it was great result for us, especially to establish to the league about who we want to be and where we want to be once the league finishes. It’s a great result against a good team. Austin has been second in second for a while now, so it’s great to have the result and keep moving forward as a team.”
On the result against Austin being a statement win…
“I definitely think it’s a statement win. Like I said, we want to show the league that we want to finish in the top four, even in third place so we can get that home playoff [game] and show them that we can beat any team anywhere.”
On his personal performance against Austin…
“I felt good. Playing left back is something that I’ve got accustomed to being here. I think I played left back more than I did right back last year. I think it just adds to my game to be more versatile that I can play either position and gives Gaff [Head Coach Adrian Heath] more confidence in me to put me on either side.”
On the differences of playing left back…
“Everything looks a little different. It’s just on the other side as well, so I think the biggest thing is the habits I do on the field. Usually I’m still playing with my right foot even though I’m at left back when I should really open up and play with my left, but sometimes I get away with it. It’s also an advantage using my right on the left because I can cut in and that opens up a whole different angle of passing. I think I did good. Like I said, I think it adds versatility to my game.”
On having a statement performance for himself…
“I think it was also a statement performance for myself. I wanted to prove that even if I’m not in the starting lineup sometimes I can still step in and have that same rhythm as if I was starting like everybody has seen me at the beginning of the season. I think it was a statement for myself, I can mentally get through it all. Whether I’m on the team for the game or on the bench.”
On the season Houston has had…
“They’ve kind of struggled, but I still think they’re still dangerous. They’ve got Fafa [Fabrice-Jean Picault] and they’ve got Hector Herrera, who’s a really good player. Obviously, playing there is tough, so the advantage that we’re home, I think for us, is just about dominating and making a statement again that we’re going to crush them and keep moving forward.”
On limiting a player like Fabrice-Jean Picault…
“Whoever is marking him one-v-one, you always force him down the line. Don’t let him cut inside on his right foot because you know what he can do with his right foot. He’s very shifty so don’t dive in and it’s about supporting the guy beside you. You see him struggling out there one-v-one against Fafa [Fabrice-Jean Picault], how quickly can we slide over as a backline and support him.”
On Hector Herrera’s time in the league so far…
“He’s been exactly what we expected. He’s been really good. He’s had some fancy plays. I remember playing against him at Houston. He had some fancy footwork, so it was exactly what I expected from him. I think he’s been doing well, but obviously that doesn’t matter for us.”
On the mentality of the group heading into the Houston game…
“Like I said before, just dominate the competition. We’re at home. We need to push the gas. We need to make a statement again about how we’re going to play at home, especially with us getting three points. Playing on the front foot, pressing, making teams get out of their comfort zone when they’re here at Allianz [Field]. Especially with our fans, they have great support. It’s just about dominating them and being better in every aspect.”
On what has attributed to the club's good run of form…
“Just teamwork and mentality. We kind of talked about it before, midway through the season we were struggling with that mentality of finishing off games. There was a lot of games we let go in the last 10, 20 minutes. But now we’re finally putting games together, putting performances together, doing everything as a team. I think that’s the biggest difference for us right now.”
