Head Coach Adrian Heath
On the match against Colorado Rapids…
“I thought we had a really good defensive shape like we did in Dallas. The structure was good. Everybody stuck to what we’ve been working on since preseason, really. I’ve been really pleased with the effort and the determination of everybody. I thought that was one thing that showed through again at the weekend. They [Colorado Rapids] had quite a bit of possession in the first half, but I don’t think Dayne [St. Clair] had a proper save to make in the first half so that speaks volumes. Second half, they put us under a little bit more pressure, but I thought we were a little bit wasteful at times. We looked dangerous all evening on the counterattack which is something we’ve been working on as well. To get seven points from three games with what’s gone on is a testament of all the hard work everybody’s done.”
On training with multiple player absences…
“Yeah, it’s one at that minute today you never, as you’ve heard me say it a million times, I know what playing for England meant for me, and I would never stop the players from going and representing their country. I think it’s something that we should be proud of, but when you’re losing six-seven starters, it’s not ideal. I think as the league grows, and the quality of players that we’re bringing in starts to get better and with the amount of money that we’re spending now, then maybe we’ll have to look at what everybody else in the world does and maybe cancel some fixtures and put them in the middle of the week throughout the rest of the year.”
On the benefit to international players but losing them during the season…
“Yeah, exactly. I think Vancouver [Whitecaps FC] are missing two or three starters, so it’s not ideal. When people pay the money, you want to put the best product on the field that you can do. This weekend, unfortunately, that’s not going be the case.”
On the importance of set pieces at this point in the season…
“Set pieces have always been important, and I think it’s getting more and more so. Every year, the stats go up that more and more goals are conceded from set pieces and are scored. It’s something that we’ve worked probably harder on than we’ve done at any stage since I’ve been here. At the end of the day, the quality has to be good but then there has to be a willingness of people to go and get their head on things and put their head when it’s dangerous, and I think we’ve done really well, that’s why we were so disappointed with the goal we conceded against the [New York] Red Bulls. A six-foot-two guy coming in and having a free header that’s not what we’ve been about. We’ve normally defended corners and set pieces better than we did in that game.”
On Franco Fragapane’s set piece delivery…
“Yeah, well Franco’s [Fragapane] got good delivery and that’s the most important thing because as I say, you can put the best runner on but if the delivery is not good, then invariably you don’t get an opportunity.”
On Franco Fragapane or Kervin Arriaga taking set pieces last year when Emanuel Reynoso was unavailable…
“I think that was more for shots and free kicks. Obviously Kervin [Arriaga] has proved in the Dallas game that he can get it up and over the wall. He’s got an incredible range as well, [for] Kervin 30-yards out is not a problem. It’s an opportunity. The one good thing for Rey [Emanuel Reynoso] not being here is one or two [players] have got more opportunities to show what they can do.”
On what makes a good set piece taker…
“Getting it in the right area, at the right pace, and understanding what the game gives you. Sometimes people try and pick people out instead of putting it in the danger spot because that’s invariably where most goals are scored from. So, if you can put it in the right area, at the right pace, and then you’ve got a willingness to try and get on the end of it, it’s normally a very good combination.”
On the Vancouver match with seven player absences…
“I did say after the game on Saturday and I will repeat it again: there’s no excuse wherever. I will not make an excuse that the fact that we’ve got seven players away this weekend, eight players away. We have a squad of 28 players and that’s why you have a squad of 28. At some stage, you’re going to be called upon. I look at the likes of Cameron Dunbar. He’s had a great preseason, worked really, really hard. This is a big opportunity for him this weekend. Some of the younger guys will be on the bench and maybe get on the field, so when one door closes, it opens for other people. As Dayne [St. Clair] proved last year, opportunities can come along and if you take them, it can be a career changing decision sometimes.”
On having a bye during the March international window in previous seasons…
“You could be lucky like [FC] Dallas, I suppose. I know it’s difficult this year with the Leagues Cup coming in, and you don’t know how long you’re going to be in that competition so you can’t really plan. We have to look at it, I think mainly in Europe and certainly in England, if you have three players on international duty, the game is automatically called off. Everybody knows that. Now, if both teams agree that they can play and they feel as though they want to play, they can, but you can call the games off if they have three players away on international duty.”
On Doneil Henry and his weekend availability…
“He’s trained today, and we had a little scrimmage for a bit this morning, and he’s joined in that, but he won’t be available at the weekend. It’s an opportunity for Brent Kallman, who’s just come back from an injury. Probably could’ve done ideally with another week’s training under his belt but needs are a must, and he has to step up.”
On Brent Kallman’s fitness level…
“You feel pretty good. There’s nothing like, you can never replicate the intensity of a game in training, just you can’t and mentally as well. You’re never in that exact zone that you are in a game, so we’ll see how he is. As I say, ideally, we would’ve liked to have given him a bit more time, but we’re pleased that he’s available, obviously.”
On Franco Fragapane elevating the team…
“Fraga [Franco Fragapane] yeah. When you’ve got forward players who can make things happen, make a goal and score a goal, and I always use this analogy, that’s why they’re the most expensive part of a team. That’s why they go for the most money because the hardest thing in football is to score a goal. That’s why all the great players have been sent forward, generally. If you can get people who can make a goal and score a goal, they become invaluable, especially when the games are tight. That’s when them big, special players come and bring their A-game and that’s when they make the difference.”
On Sang Bin Jeong in training…
“He’s done a little bit but can’t join in fully yet with the group. He’s done a little bit on the side and hopefully, we can integrate him later in the week.”
On Sang Bin Jeong’s availability for the weekend…
“No, I think it’s going to be too early with the paperwork for that. He’ll have to go out of the country to get his passport stamped. That’s really not the big part. We’re just waiting for everything to come back from the immigration office is the problem and sometimes that can take five days and sometimes it takes three weeks. You’re pretty much in the hands of the people in power, really.”
On his first impressions of San Bin Jeong…
“He’s obviously a powerful kid, you can see that. He’s got huge legs and very athletic, he’s very quick. That’s the things we know about him. A typical Korean player in terms of unity. He’s fit. He looks after himself. The kids always got a smile on his face so that’s nice. Even with this weather, he’s got a smile on his face.”
On Bongokuhle Hlongwane’s performance so far this season…
“I thought he’s been outstanding, I really do. He’s 21. Sang Bin [Jeong] is 20. Mender [Garcia] is 23. We’ve got some good, young pieces now and if we keep adding to that, the future will look good for the club.”
On an update on Emanuel Reynoso…
“No.”
On a point of no return with Emanuel Reynoso…
“I don’t know if we’re at that stage yet, but obviously we want him back. As I said after the game on Saturday, there’s not a team in this league that wouldn’t benefit and be better with a fit and healthy Emanuel Reynoso. We’re hoping that’s where he’ll be for us in the near future.”
Midfielder Franco Fragapane
On starting the season healthy…
[SPA]: “Bien, bien. Estamos trabajando bien. Yo me cuido mucho por ese tipo de lesiones, así que hay que estar comiendo bien, descansando bien y entrenando bien para que no pase eso.”
[ENG]: “Good, good. We’re working hard. I take care of myself a lot because of those types of injuries, so you have to be eating well, resting well and training well so that doesn’t happen.”
On the key to the team’s success…
[SPA]: “Estamos trabajando bien. Hay un grupo muy bueno, muy unido. Todos tenemos ganas, todos queremos ganar así que se esta demostrando adentro de la cancha.”
[ENG]: “We’re working hard. It’s a good group, very united. We all have the urge, we all want to win and it’s showing on the field.”
On having a personal responsibility to step up with absent players…
[SPA]: “No, la responsabilidad creo que la tenemos todos. Este es un grupo. Creo que el equipo está bien. Los jugadores que van a entrar tienen muchas ganas de jugar y lo van a ser bien.”
[ENG]: “No, everyone has the responsibility. This is a group. I think the team will be good. The players that are going to come in want to play and they’re going to do it well.”
On being the designated player for set pieces on his former teams…
[SPA]: “Sí. Yo en el equipo anterior que estuve también manejaba la pelota parada. Ahora que no está [Emanuel] Reynoso el encargado soy yo.”
[ENG]: “Yes. I took the free kicks on the team I was with before. Now that [Emanuel] Reynoso isn’t here, I’m the one taking them.”
On how he was selected for set pieces…
[SPA]: “No, el año pasado también cuando no estaba [Emanuel] Reynoso, yo también pateaba, me hacia cargo de la pelota parada. Primero era el, pero si no estaba, me tocaba a mí.”
[ENG]: “No, last year as well when [Emanuel] Reynoso wasn’t available, I would kick, I would take the free kicks. First it was him, but if he wasn’t there, it was me.”
On his relationship with other attacking players…
[SPA]: “Bien. Tenemos buenos jugadores, es un grupo bueno. Tenemos que seguir así que los resultados se están dando.”
[ENG]: “Good. We have good players, a good group. We have to continue like this as the results are coming.”
On the key to delivering good set pieces…
[SPA]: “Entrenar en la semana, como lo dije antes. Lo entrenamos un día antes de partido y yo me quedo pateando ahí solo hasta que los resultados se ven adentro.”
[ENG]: “Training during the week, like I said before. We work on it a day before the game and I will stay kicking alone until the results are seen in the game.”
On if he’s been in touch with Emanuel Reynoso and their relationship…
[SPA]: “No, yo no me comuniqué. El club es el encargado de comunicarse. Solo lo seguimos esperando, pero necesitamos repuesta.”
[ENG]: “No, we haven’t been in contact. It’s the job of the club to communicate. We’ll continue waiting but we need a response.”
On his level of comfortability this year compared to those prior…
[SPA]: “Lo mismo. Lo mismo porque solo nos falta un jugador que es [Emanuel] Reynoso pero después siguen estando los mismos que el año pasado. Es un equipo que se mantuvo.
[ENG]: The same. The same because we’re only missing one player which is [Emanuel] Reynoso but the rest is the same as last year. The team has remained the same.
On his desire to score a goal…
[SPA]: “El gol sí, siempre lo quiero, me gusta. Espero que el fin de semana se me dé.”
[ENG]: I always want to score, I like scoring. I hope that this weekend it happens.”
On if his family is here in Minnesota…
[SPA]: “Si.”
[ENG]: “Yes.”
