Head Coach Adrian Heath
On the SC Paderborn 07 match…
“I thought there was a lot of good things coming out of the game. Obviously scoring the goals would help. I think that the fact that Bakaye [Dibassy] got a goal from the corner, a really good ball-in from Rey [Emanuel Reynoso]. I thought Luis [Amarilla] looked a bit more like his old self, and there’s nothing like scoring goals for a player’s confidence, so, hopefully that will give him a lift. Then I look at some of the younger guys. As you know, we got minutes for Fred [Emmings], I thought AZ [Jackson] did alright when he came on and got a really good goal and thought he made some nice witty passes. So, the only disappointment from the weekend was Romain’s [Metanire] injury. Sometimes you say that’s an occupational hazard but it doesn’t make it any easier for the kid and for us because he’s a big, big part of the way we play.”
On importance of playing a real match during the international break…
“Yeah it was good. I think it’s a difficult one, the three-week break, because it’s a bit too long and then it’s three weeks without having a game and then your next game’s another week, so it’s going to have been four weeks. I think the game was important for us in the fact that we had a great crowd, you know, it was a lot of goals in the game, we got some minutes for the younger guys, and then as I said, Luis [Amarilla] getting the goal. I thought there was a lot of positives from the day.”
On New England Revolution playing midweek match before Sunday’s contest…
“Well I think that they’ll [New England] look at it that you can bend one or two of their new players in, [Dylan] Borrero especially looks to be a really good player at the weekend. Obviously Carles Gil and [Gustavo] Bou are quality players in this league. And this is a team that obviously have lost a couple of pieces but they’re Supporters’ Shield winners last year and were one of the favorites and were excellent last year, so I think we know it’s going to be difficult. It’s never easy at Foxborough, but this is probably the best team that that they’ve had when we’ve gone there to play against. Then we go to Miami and then we go to Galaxy, so we’ve got three on the road – it’s a difficult stretch – but let’s hope we got a bit of confidence from the last game.”
On playing in New England on Matt Turner’s final match with the Revolution…
“Well, let’s just hope he doesn’t go out with a bang. It’ll be nice, if the occasion got too much for him and it wasn’t his best day. But, no, he’s a quality goalkeeper and obviously he’s got a dream move [with] one of the biggest clubs in the world in Arsenal, so let’s see how we go, but he’s certainly been a quality player for them.”
Defender Kemar Lawrence
On how the team stays ready during the break…
“Usually when you get a break, you try to actually take a break, but when you’re a professional it doesn’t work because, like, a couple of days and you’re right back into it. Especially knowing that you need points, it’s like alright you don’t want to switch off too much. So, we’ve been grinding. We’ve got a couple days, but ever since we came back it’s just been on the grind. And we just can’t wait to play. It’s one thing when you train every day, but it’s never the same as the game.”
On how the team is getting ready to return to MLS play…
“I feel like that game [versus SC Paderborn] kind of helps because the opponent that we played, the quality was high. They brought a lot and to see us matchup with them and us winning that game, it tells us a lot about our self. But, it’s different. It’s not a real game. So, especially when you’re going to play a well-coached team, a team with a lot of senior guys, they just know what they’re doing. You got to be on your game. I emphasize that we’re not. We haven’t been picking up the points we need and we have to go there [to New England] and we’ve got to make it hard for them to play in their own stadium and we’ve got to get points.”
On scoring four goals against Paderborn and how that can help moving forward…
“It’s a start. You’ve got to start from somewhere. If they not scoring in training or if they are scoring in training does it really matter? Nah. Nobody gets to see, doesn’t really count for anything. But when you go in a friendly game like that and you score in front of what, 20-something thousand people, it kind of builds that confidence up. I feel like the strikers must be happy. We got four goals. I feel like the coaches are happy. We let in three goals, which I never like, but it’s a start. I feel like they are getting their confidence going and I feel like this is probably the perfect time to do it. Not too early, not too late, but maybe the right time right in between there.”
On possibly catching New England at the right time…
“You never know. Sometimes it’s tricky, right? Sometimes you think after two, three games they will be a little bit tired and a little bit sloppy, but you’d be surprised. They can’t wait to play us. You’d be surprised that we’re the guys they really want to play and then when you get there everybody is on their A-game. They’re clicking it around, pinging passes everywhere. For me, it’s like, you never know, but I’m not about to complain about their three games, I’d rather that.”
On how New England will come out because of Matt Turner’s send-off…
“I don’t know. I don’t think it should matter. For him, maybe it’s a little bit more personal. He’s leaving home. He’s leaving his teammates, so for him maybe it’s a little bit emotional, but for us, we don’t… I don’t think any guy here really cares.”
On New England’s defense…
“Just tough, tough. A lot of combativeness there. If you watch their games, they communicate good. You’ve got players that just know their role and they do it at such a high level week in and week out. Obviously, they make mistakes, but they don’t do it a lot. We just have to go into the game and capitalize on any mistakes they make. A really good, solid defensive team, as well. One of the best, I feel like, in MLS and we just have to go there knowing that it’s a hard game and find a way to get goals.”
Goalkeeper Fred Emmings
On graduating high school then making First Team debut…
“Oh, it was crazy. I was telling my family there was a lot of emotions. Four hard years of high school – with all the travel and stuff, doing a lot of homework on the road and the hotels and stuff – but, I finally did it. Finished [high school] well, and then the game [against SC Paderborn 07] just to top it off was amazing.”
On his experience in goal against SC Paderborn 07…
“With the fans, it’s completely different. Having that many supporters behind you, it’s really unreal. It’s a dream come true.”
On his playing journey with MNUFC…
“Again, it’s like a dream, you know. Like, I was ‘ball-boying’ back when [Minnesota United FC] were playing in [the National Sports Center Stadium]. Just being able to become a player and now I’m doing the same to other younger kids, it’s really a dream come true. That’s the only way I can put it.”
On what the future holds…
“I mean, there’s a long list, obviously and you have to take things one step at a time. More First Team opportunities is definitely on my list. So, we’ll see if we can make that happen.”
