Real Salt Lake 1 vs. 1 FC Dallas
August 27, 2022; Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas
Real Salt Lake (10-8-9, 39 points); FC Dallas (11-8-10, 43 points)
Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni
On the substitutions during the game:
“I’d like to take some of the credit for the result tonight, but again, all the credit goes to the guys who stepped on the field and did a fantastic job–the guys who started, the guys who came in. At times, it looked a little bit leggy, but the guys that came in definitely brought a great boost of energy and some really good plays. I’m super satisfied with the point, but I felt like we were really close to taking home three tonight; our performance was really good.”
On the role Bryan Oviedo could play on the team:
“Given the fact that we have so many games in such a short amount of time, [Andrew] Brody and Aaron [Herrera] have really been logging in a ton of minutes. Brody’s work tonight was fantastic up and down the flank. Just knowing that as the game wears on, they’re going to find a way to try to throw numbers forward and it felt like fresh legs were really important to integrating Bryan [Oviedo]. He’s come to us with only eight games left, so I thought it was really important to get him a taste. It’s not easy coming in ten minutes left in the game, but again, his level of professionalism since the first day he stepped onto the grounds at ZBRA–he’s had nothing but a willingness and a desire to be a great teammate, so with these next few games coming up, he’s going to get more minutes as we continue to rotate players in a way that is conducive to the challenges up ahead.”
On Justin Meram’s minutes:
“We’re going to have to tread carefully with [Justin] Meram, tonight he was fantastic. Again, the reason why he’s logging in so many minutes is that he brings something to our group that’s very different–his ability to penetrate on the dribble, isolate from 1v1s, that play tonight was really, really good, especially in the middle third. He’s a guy that a lot of people thought wouldn’t be in this position to be able to log these kinds of minutes and be productive and yet, he continues to supersede those expectations. He’s an important player to our group, and as to who could come and fill that role: Diego [Luna]’s played that position before, it’s something that we’ve looked at in training. Rubio [Rubin]’s done a really good job coming into games in that position, [Maikel] Chang, those are probably the ones. A wild card would probably be Brody, but again, if we’re going to rotate Brody, it’s to rest him and not necessarily play him in the wide position.”
Defender Bryan Oviedo
On his first appearance in MLS:
“I am very happy to play my first game, to make my debut. I think it was a hard game. Dallas is a team who plays very well, and I think it was a good result. Of course we want to get three points, but going with one point is a good result for us.”
On playing more with three games in eight days:
“I am working for that. Of course, today I’ve only had two trainings with the team and I just arrived last Tuesday. It’s not easy to get 100% with a team yet because I’m just starting to get to know the other players. But I think I need to adapt as quickly as possible because as you say, we have a lot of games in the next week, the next two weeks, so I want to be ready and if I have the chance to play, try to do my best and try to help the team.”
On who’s helped him immigrate into the team:
“I think everyone is really friendly. Everyone tried to help me as quickly as possible to be one with the team, so that is why I am so happy with this. I think to be with the team and be involved with the team is going to be really quick because everyone tried to help me, the players, the staff, and also all the people around so that is really important for me. I feel like I’ve been here for the last two-three months.”
Defender Aaron Herrera
On his improved play through the game:
“For me, I thrive in the hot weather being from New Mexico and especially when I was playing for the academy in Arizona. Whenever we go to a place like this, it’s an advantage for me almost because as the game goes on, like you said, I’m able to keep going, and when I see everyone else starting to get more tired, it gives me even more motivation to get going even more.”
On new players bringing more competition within the team:
“Competition is always good. It’s going to bring the best out of anyone. If you don’t have anyone behind you and you have a spot locked down regardless of how you are playing, you’re not going to be at your best. It’s always good bringing in guys, especially experienced guys, who come in and they want to play, obviously. Competition brings the best out of everyone.”
On defending Alan Velasco:
“The goal was a bit of a fluke goal. The ball was bouncing around, pin-balling off a couple of players and it just fell right to him and I wasn’t able to get over quick enough. I thought I was in a good spot to get a block, but apparently not. He’s a good technical player on the ball who likes to run at guys and beat you on the dribble. It’s good to always rough the guy up like that and make him not want to run at you as much. I fouled him a couple of times in the first half, trying to be aggressive with him and then don’t let him find it easy. But he’s a quality player and any attacker like that, you got to get into him a little bit.”
