QUOTE SHEET
REAL SALT LAKE 0-0 MINNESOTA UNITED FC
ESPN WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS COMPLEX; KISSIMMEE, FLORIDA
JULY 17, 2020
Head Coach Freddy Juarez
Overall thoughts:
“It was a hard-fought match by both teams. The effort was tremendous by the guys, we just needed to create a little bit more chances for goal. It was two very good defensive teams that know how to defend in the box and sacrifice and put their bodies on the line. It was just going to take a little bit extra. We created 10 chances, we probably needed to create 15-20 chances to get a goal against those guys. Overall, I’m very proud of our guys. Another clean sheet. It’s not easy playing in this weather, at this time and against this opponent and our guys fought their guts out.”
On the mentality and the result:
“We always go for the win. We wanted the win. We wanted to build off of the Colorado game. Our guys had a great mentality leading into and played the game with a great mentality. Sometimes you just don’t create the chances the way we wanted to. Still the effort was tremendous. We could have been a little more dynamic in the final third to create a couple more chances. The opponent matters and this was a very good opponent that we played against.”
On Rusnák’s exit from the match:
“You never expect that to happen. You try to anticipate that and put things together before the game in some scenarios. It was unfortunate because when that happens so quick, a lot of times the player doesn’t get the proper chance to warm up. Justin and I talked about it and I think he could’ve gone in and played a little bit simpler, especially since it’s hard to come into a match as a sub against a very good team like Minnesota. Maybe he should’ve eased into the game a bit more with simple touches. He found the rhythm and in the second half and became a pretty dangerous player in the second half. I don’t know too much about Albert and I haven’t discussed that with our medical staff. After this I’ll go and see how he is doing.”
On Jeizon Ramirez:
“Jeizon is a young player and he came into us not exactly where we want him to be just yet and we’ve had those conversations with him. He’s a very talented player and he’s going to be a big part of our team as long as he keeps developing into the way our team plays. We can’t afford to have everyone not working all phases of the game. We know he’s spectacular when he has the ball at his feet and he’s still getting used to the physicality of the league, players and training. He’s had a great attitude when I said to him when I talked to him. He knows that we expect a lot more and during the last week he had one of his best weeks since he’s been here. Everyone on our team knows that if we’re going to build something special that we want it to be, that nothing is handed to them. It doesn’t matter who you are and our team all buys into everything and everyone works hard. We want to make sure that whenever anyone steps onto the field they can always give everything they’ve got. And right now, Jeizon came at a time when this whole COVID thing happened so he needs a bit of fitness and he isn’t quite as sharp as we’d like him to be. He’s there and he’s a young player so we can’t rush him. We need to make sure that when we bring him in that he’s ready so he can succeed. He’s here in Florida with us and doing the extra training and going to the gym and he’s developing. He’s going to be good and everyone is going to be happy with him. I know that everyone is excited but for me when you have a young player it’s important to guide him and develop him. I know people want to quickly see young players and see the signings but for me it’s making sure they develop in the right way. We want realize professionals who can make a real impact. We had a lot of patience with Pablo Ruiz and I think tonight you saw a very good Pablo Ruiz. A very good player on the field. It took him a while to get to that rhythm and get fit and professional and do what we’re asking of him. Now we saw him against a very good team with what he can offer. That’s what every player needs to do when they’re not playing. They need to give it their best and make sure they can help the team in any way they can.”
On the backlines performance:
“They’re getting better, they’re getting more into a rhythm. Second game we’ve played in four months, like everyone else, but we’ve really talked about some structure and some positioning that we want every player to take on the field, and our center backs are a big part of that. And creating some numbers in the center-mid and some spaces that we want in between the lines that we’re going to continue to develop and we feel that with Justen Glad, Aaron Herrera, Donny [Toia], Marcelo [Silva] and we have some other guys like Bees [Nick Besler] or Erik Holt when they play in that position. We ask them to play as simple as possible to get into positions that we’d like them to get into, to build the game. Then when they get into those positions, we want them receiving the ball and when they look up they have options. They are starting to see those options, they are comfortable when they get it, because they have multiple options and they know they can go forward. We’re not always going to risk it. We can go over the top if it’s on to go over the top and if it’s not then we’re going to recirculate it. I’m really happy right now with the way the backline is composed, and we can continue to grow at it, it’s not a finished product. With fatigue you start to see more passes back from a center back to a goalkeeper, we want to eliminate that, so if we can play as a center back and then quickly adjust and give a little more depth or width to buy us a little more time then we won’t always have to go back. We think we can fix that, and we can get it in the lines a little bit more. But overall, very good first two games from our backline when they build the attack.”
On Douglas getting the ball on the right side:
“I wanted him more central, especially with our structure. We wanted him to occupy the center backs. When we talk about penetrating the backline it becomes a little easier if we can narrow their center backs, if we can narrow their spacing in between the center backs and the outside backs and I thought he was drifting too much to one side. He naturally brought the center backs with him and if we tried to get it on that side there was already a man-on-man, or they had drifted across and there wasn’t a gap and that was something we talked about. I know why he drifted, every player wants space and time, and they want the ball. And he had success last game where he had it wide and he had an assist, so he feels like if he keeps finding that he’s going to keep doing it. But for our team to have success in the attack, when we are in an organized attack, we need a forward occupying the center backs. From there he can run from the inside out, which he did a few of those against Colorado as well. It’s tough to be a number nine and be brave and play towards the goal with big center backs on your back, and that’s where development is going to come in where he is comfortable enough to be able to hold center backs.”
Midfielder Justin Meram
On how the team could’ve scored and his acclimation to RSL:
“I think we could’ve made more run in behind to spread their backline. Maybe played a little bit deeper because I think we were playing in front of them a little too much. I’m adapting well with one game at a time and one training at a time and I just need to keep going and keep getting fitter playing alongside my teammates and understanding my role. So, every day and every week I can get more comfortable with the group.”
On his approach to the match:
“I just wanted to come in and make a difference. I think I started a little slow when I came in. It was a quick substitution as Albert came out, but in the second half I felt more comfortable playing in a pocket where I could combine and create. Just making runs and combining to try and break down their defense and get an opportunity.”
On the confidence making the runs in behind:
“I think we’ll work on it and talk about it. I think sometimes it’s just the flow of the game and how the game goes. The tempo, the weather, the legs and where we are on the field are all factors. I think we made some of those runs and think maybe we could’ve made more – myself included. With all those factors I think you read that opponent and understand when there is space and when to go and if not, keep the ball and circulate it because you don’t want to be the one chasing.”
Goalkeeper Zac MacMath
On the match:
“Once we got close to halftime we really just tried to keep our team in control of the game and give up any chances. Thankfully their chance before the half hit the post and we were able to react and keep the clean sheet going into the break.”
On the group standings:
“Against a team like Minnesota who has obviously been good in this tournament and even before the tournament, we’ll take a shutout against them and we’re leaving the game feeling that we deserved more. But any time you can get a zero in a tournament format like this to keeping pushing for the next game.”
On the clean sheet:
“Everything starts with practice. The whole team and Freddy has emphasized playing just playing simple and not giving the ball away easily to the other team. I think we’ve done that really well over the last two games and hopefully it’s something we can continue to build on throughout this tournament. The guys in front of me were outstanding again, not just in the build-up, but defending shots and crosses as well making it really hard for the Minnesota forwards to score.”
