In this edition of Training Quotes, you'll hear from MNUFC head coach Adrian Heath and defender DJ Taylor on this week's training for the Loons match versus the New England Revolution and more.
HEAD COACH ADRIAN HEATH
On the importance of a point on the road against San Jose Earthquakes…
Any point on the road is always valuable, I always say that to the players. Sometimes you come in and you think, ‘we should’ve gotten all three,’ or ‘you were lucky to get a point,’ but I say you always take a point. It’s another point closer to what might get you to where you’ve made the playoffs. We were disappointed with the disallowed goal. But, that’s six games undefeated, eight points out of the last four games. That’s two points a game. Normally if you have that throughout the season, that gets you towards the top of the table. We’re trending in the right direction. I was pleased with a lot of the aspects of our performance at the weekend. I thought the second half we were a little bit sloppy with the ball. But overall, [going] away to a conference rival – a team that got beat in the middle of the week and realized the importance of the game for them [San Jose Earthquakes] – I would’ve settled for a point before the game.
On creating separation between teams in the table with good results…
When you start to look at everybody’s fixtures, we’re all playing each other until the end. We’ve got Kansas [Sporting Kansas City] twice, we’ve got the [LA] Galaxy twice. We’re all going to be competing for those spots. This weekend against the Revs [New England Revolution], we’re playing a really good team: Well-coached, well-organized, really good good talent in forward areas. It doesn’t get any easier. Between now and the end of the season, every point is going to be really, really valuable.”
On containing the New England Revolution attack…
Attacking wise, they’ve [New England Revolution] lost a couple of players through injury. [Gustavo] Bou didn’t play at the weekend, I don’t know what his status is going to be. [Giacomo] Vrioni has come in and looked like a handful. They’ve got one of the best No. 10’s in the league in [Carles] Gil. They’ve got talent. They’ve got talent in the forward areas. [Tomas] Chancalay got two goals at the weekend. We looked at him down in Argentina, another really talented forward. They’re blessed with good front men, that’s why they’ve scored so many goals. But I’m more preoccupied with ourselves. If we can play like we did in the second half against Seattle [Sounders FC], then we’ll cause them problems also.
On Teemu Pukki scoring in two consecutive matches…
There’s nothing like scoring goals for a striker for confidence and hopefully that will take him on a run now. I said before these last 10 games that if he can get six or seven goals between now and the end of the season, it’d be a huge benefit and help for everybody: Him for his confidence and us because you need goal-scorers scoring goals at this stage of the season.
On Emanuel Reynoso’s progression this season…
Since he’s been back, he’s come in and trained really well. As I said to him when he got back here, this is about his actions now and not his words. His actions have been terrific. He’s been training really well and he’s had an influence in every game that we’ve played… nearly every goal, even if it’s not the assist, it’s the pass to the assist. So, he’s been huge for us and a bit like [Teemu] Pukki, we’re going to need Rey [Emanuel Reynoso] to maintain that all the way through [the end of the season].
On defensive performances to only allow three goals through six matches contributing to the undefeated streak…
It does because if you can score on the one end and keep them out of the other – it sounds really simple – that’s normally a good recipe. Our defense has done really well of late, and Dayne [St. Clair] has come up with some big saves when we’ve needed him. We can single the defense out or the goalkeeper but the game has changed now. You start defending from the front, so Rey [Emanuel Reynoso] and Teemu [Pukki], that’s the first line, then it’s the four in front of them. Collectively, there’s been a real determination to defend our goal and we need that to continue.
On having a group to step up with players away for international duty…
That’s the reason you have a squad of 28. You know you’re going to get injuries, you’re going to get internationals, suspensions. As I always say, one door shuts for someone and opens for somebody else. Make sure when you walk through it, you take that opportunity. And it’s an opportunity for one or two other players.
DEFENDER DJ TAYLOR
On earning the point against San Jose Earthquakes…
It was huge, I think we deserved the three points for sure. We also had Dayne [St. Clair] come up with some huge saves. Any time you get a point away at a difficult place to play, like San Jose [Earthquakes], it’s good for the team to keep that mentality of not losing, at the least. So, for us to keep moving forward on this run is amazing.”
On creating separation between teams in the table with good results…
This is huge right now for us, especially being at home. We struggled in the first half of the season to win at home and for us to be able to finally put a team effort together, all around working hard, scoring goals and defending well is huge for us. Every match right now is kind of like the MLS Cup final for us. We’re just fighting for everything and hopefully we’ll win each game as we move forward.
On containing the New England Revolution attack…
Defend well. As a back four, we need to stay tight and stay connected and organize the people in front of us as a back six. Even with [Emanuel] Reynoso and [Teemu] Pukki starting a line up there, we defend first with them. So, them being able to start well for us, positionally, is huge for us and I think we’ve done really well in that sense. I definitely expect us at home to be pushing and make them [New England Revolution] defend more than they will have to attack.
On defensive performances to only allow three goals through six matches contributing to the undefeated streak…
It’s been huge because no matter how the game is going, we’re defending well. I give props to Sean [McAuley] our coach, he’s been having us [defenders] do video as well so we’re able to look back at the games and see the mistakes we’ve made and the things we’re able to improve on to hopefully help out the guys in front of us. For us to be able to defend as a back four and keep clean sheets is huge and allows us to win games.
