Head Coach Adrian Heath
On the team’s growing confidence after the past two wins…
“Well, winning two games and getting six points and putting ourselves in a really good spot. We knew we were in a situation where the last six games were going to be cup finals. Now, we’ve had a good start, but, we know, if you look at the competition tomorrow, extremely well coached, extremely talented, we know they are going to present us with a lot of challenges. But I think Bob [Bradley] is smart enough to know based on our games that we are a good team. If we can play to our potential, then it will not only be a really good game but, a game, I’m confident that we can win.”
On LAFC not being as dominant this year…
“Well, I’m sure they have been a bit more inconsistent than Bob [Bradley] would like, but we know that on any given day when they click, they’ve got really talented players. [Cristian] Arango has come in and hit the ground running, with 11 goals in 13 teams. We don’t know if [Carlos] Vela is around the corner. Is there many better players than Vela? [Brian] Rodríguez, they paid an awful lot of money for him – they’ve got talent. I’m a huge fan of [Eduard] Atuesta, they’ve got quality all over. And as I said if they hit form tomorrow it’s going to be a very difficult afternoon for us.”
On the current run of form and where the club sits in the table…
“We spoke about the other week, it’s like we’ve got six cup finals left, and every time we win, everyone around us wins and you don’t feel like you’re getting anywhere. Then all of a sudden, you get a couple of wins and now we are only two points away from fourth place – which means a home field advantage in the playoffs. There’s an awful lot for us to play at. If we win the game this weekend we go seven points clear of LAFC with three to go. So, it could be a big swing either way. They will be aware of that, they’ll know they only go a point behind us if they get a result tomorrow evening. All to play for, we are looking forward to it, its going to be a great evening and I’m sure our supporters will bring their A-game as well.”
Midfielder Wil Trapp
On the win against Philadelphia and getting back to back wins…
“I don’t think we can talk about how important it was in the sense of…look at every team around us. It’s funny, after the game we’re all checking. What happened here? What happened there? It’s a street fight right now. And the first team to crack will be the one that gets bounced out of the playoffs. For us, winning that game was huge. But then, once again, we have to go do it again on Saturday. Pushing forward. Keeping the mentality right, keeping everybody recovered well and that will be important for us.”
On the depth of the squad heading down the stretch…
“We’ve been clamoring and fighting trying to get everybody healthy all year. I think you saw on Wednesday, probably, the first time where we had almost everybody on the field that we want on the field. You had guys scoring goals, you had guys producing and then guys coming on to the field to contribute and that’s huge. When you get to this point in the season, it’s about which teams can be performing at their best and which teams can be as healthy as possible as well.”
On the value of Robin Lod…
“I think I noticed it from the beginning, being a new player here, it was just there’s a quality to what he does. The first touch, the weight of pass, the finishing. He has an even-keelness of quality that you don’t see very often. Consistency is a good word. He just brings that versatility as well. You think about how he can play on the wing, he can play the nine. You’re not worried about where he’s at and the opponent is always worried about where he’s at. He’s a great player to have back, of course, and he helps us immensely.”
On facing LAFC this weekend…
“It’s a team that has done well as of late. I think they’ve won their last two games. A group of players that they know what they’re about. They’ve good at playing in between the lines. They’re good at counter-pressing, they’re good at pressing. Even though they don’t have some of their better players on the field at all times, you always see a consistent model, a consistent idea. For us, knowing that they’re coming off an emotional high as well, but they’ve had to travel. It’s so much about wearing them down. We’re at home. We’ve shown that our energy and our focus at home has been excellent this year and we just need to continue that. And understanding that, we win this game, we put them even further behind us and we can start to move up the charts.”
Midfielder Osvaldo Alonso
On making the playoffs every season he’s played in MLS…
SPA: “Si, mi [decimo tercera] temporada en la MLS y sería un honor estar en los Playoffs nuevamente. Contento con la oportunidad que tenido de poder participar en las temporadas anterior en los Playoffs. Esto es un año especial, estamos ahí peleando para clasificar. El partido mañana es importante para nosotros.”
ENG: “Yes, my thirteenth season in MLS and it would be an honor to be in the Playoffs again. Happy with the opportunity that I’ve had to be able to participate in the previous Playoffs. But hey, this is a special year, we are there fighting to qualify. Tomorrow’s match is important for us.”
On what this teams needs to do to qualify for the playoffs in these last four matches…
SPA: “No pues sale en lo mismo. Es un partido como otros. Lo único diferente es al final los puntos que vamos sacar que es son los tres que queremos, nos ponemos en una posición más antojoso. El partido es lo mismo, la intensidad, entusiasmo, alegría del equipo tiene que ser lo mismo porque es un partido más. Lo único diferente es que estamos más cerca a los Playoffs, pero tenemos que estar mentalizado que tenemos carrera mañana.”
ENG: “No, it comes out in the same way. A game like all the others. The only different thing is the points that we are getting, which are the three we want, would put ourselves in a more stubborn position. The game is the same, the intensity, enthusiasm, joy of the team has to be the same because it’s one more game. The only different thing is that we are closer to the Playoffs, but we have to be aware that we have a race tomorrow."
On what he says to the team as the captain…
SPA: “Estar tranquilo. Sabemos que es un partido complicado, pero mentalmente tenemos que estar preparados para ese juego mañana. Dar lo mejor de cada uno como hasta hora y salir adelante. Yo pienso que saliendo como salimos el último partido, que tenemos un gran chance de colectar los tres puntos.”
ENG: “Stay calm. We know it's a complicated game, but mentally we have to be ready for that game tomorrow. Each of us give our best like we have been and get ahead. I think that going out like we did the last game, that we have a great chance to collect the three points."
On facing LAFC…
SPA: “Un partido difícil. Sabemos que están, ellos, cerca de nosotros, que vienen para aca para buscar el resultado que lo ponga cerca a los Playoffs. Y nosotros estamos en casa, tenemos que salir con todo, como hemos hasta hora y dar lo mejor de cada uno. Creo que mentalmente prepáranos, que es un partido importante, pero que estamos en casa, tenemos que salir con alegría, entusiasmo y a dar lo mejor de cada uno.”
ENG: “A difficult match. We know that they are close to us, that they are coming here looking for a result that will bring them closer to the Playoffs. And we’re at home, we have to go out with everything, as we have until now and give the best of each one. I think mentally, prepare ourselves because this is an important match, we have to go out with joy, enthusiasm and each give our best."
