QUOTE SHEET
Real Salt Lake 2-1 Houston Dynamo
Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, Utah
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Real Salt Lake
Interim Head Coach Freddy Juarez
On the flow of the game:
“Great start. I didn’t celebrate at all, because usually when you get that first goal and it’s so early, you think how is the team going to respond. We were a little disappointed in the first half. It was lethargic, not because our guys didn’t want to win, but because we couldn’t contain their overload. They played a 4-4-2 and their two wingers were two center mids, so they kept coming inside. Along with their two forwards, that put 6 players down the middle channel and then they left their outside backs super wide. We weren’t managing who needed to step where, and that was the biggest key that we talked about prior to the game because we had watched them in the early games and we didn’t handle that well. Not being able to get pressure on the ball, they started taking it to us and we couldn’t close them down. We got heavy legged. They took one goal back, thank goodness. The other one just came from fatigue from chasing the ball for so long. At halftime that’s what we talked about. Our winger has to tuck in when we don’t have the ball and it’s on the other side. They have to tuck in so we can match up the numbers in there, then we can get proper pressure on the ball and start denying and make it so much easier to play them. We did that, and we got ahold of the ball. The possession shows for itself, we started being better on the ball. The guys just got a little bit better, a little bit more dynamic. We were a little bit sharper on the attack. We didn’t want to serve the ball from far distances like we did in the first half, because they’re a big team. We were serving it from maybe 30 yards out and higher up the park, but they would win it and be running back down at us. In the second half we asked the guys to almost attack the endline, back them up, and try to slot balls into feet on the ground. We did a better job of that and we end up getting the goal.”
On the locker room vibe:
“It was good. They got some pizza today, which lets them just relax a bit. I told them to just enjoy it. Enjoy every win. You work all week, in this case just a couple of days from the last game, and we prepared to win the game. That’s what we did. They get to enjoy it and in a couple of days we’ll get back after it. There wasn’t a whole lot of talk. I wanted them to enjoy it and there was a lot of emotion out there with Nick. Well deserved, so I just said a couple words and told the guys to take a couple of days off and relax, enjoy it, and we’ll get back after it a little bit later.”
On the focus pregame:
“We didn’t really talk about it. The guys were focused. I always say the opponent matters, and in this case they had us chasing the ball. Third game in a week, you don’t want to be chasing the ball at home, but they got us chasing the ball and it took its toll. Credit to the guys. We spoke at halftime, challenged them a little bit tactically. They did it, and full credit to them, because I think we ended up winning our duels and the majority of the possession. Just a way better second half. It was just a different second half from the first half.”
On the importance of depth:
“I’m so proud of the whole squad. They showed great commitment yesterday. There were some guys I wanted to get in today because they deserve it. I thought we ended the game well and strong and going after the opponent. The training yesterday was very good from everyone. It’s hard when you don’t put in the group. The group knows. The guys who don’t go in may not be happy, but they know that if you start or don’t start or didn’t get to go in, they’re still a big part of the team. We used some in New England, maybe we used Damir a little too much this week, he got a little tired today, but he was great earlier in the week, which led to other guys being a little fresher. It was a total team commitment. It has been this whole week. It was nice to see all the emotional stuff with the championship team. You really see what it takes to be a champion, it’s a group. It’s never just 10, 11 or 18 guys, it’s the whole squad that comes in day in and day out and trains well. Even when there’s disappointment about not playing, they come in and push the guys who are playing so that we can win these games, like we did today.”
On Bofo’s impact:
“I told Bofo right after the game that he added a lot to the game. You could see the energy and intelligence, drawing numbers, drawing fouls, freeing up other players, and all of a sudden our possession got better. It allowed us to really get ahold of the game and start possessing well. He was getting forward, to the final third and really backing up Houston so that we could get in better positions on the field. He added a lot and that’s something we always tell him. He’s not just a possession player. His tendency is to come in and get ahold of the ball in our third and touch the ball. He’s got to threaten their backline and today he did everything we asked of him.”
On Savarino’s goal:
“He hits that at practice all the time. Technically, Savarino is very good. His first touch was everything. You get into that area, within 8 yards of the 18, your first touch has to be very good because you don’t have the time and space. As soon as he took his touch and was able to get his head up, he had his chance. Albert had a chance in a similar area, which would have put the game away. They’re good from those distances. Anytime you can get Savarino, Albert, Damir, Bofo or Plata receiving it and getting their head up, they can usually put it on the mark.”
On Bofo’s unselfish play:
“His decision-making and composure were great. Every time Bofo got the ball, he was drawing a second and third defender today. Once he spotted that, he found the open man, and that was important. There’s been a couple games back and I remember talking to him about how he was taking shots from all over the park. I told him to find that extra pass or just wait and be a little bit more patient so that you can receive the ball facing with his shoulders facing the goal. Today he was on the other end of it getting the assist by waiting to draw some attention. All his decision-making today was very good.”
On clinching a playoff berth:
“Feel good. Feels good. I wish it would have been done on Wednesday. We get to, not relax, but we really just get to focus on, OK, we’re in now. Now let’s really focus on how we’re going to beat Vancouver so we can maybe have a chance to maybe host a [playoff] game. It’s important that this is out of the way, the pressures of a must-win, and now we can really put a focus on how far up the standings do we want to get.”
On what Nick Rimando brought to the team:
“Experience, the style of play that we want to play, he’s very good at it, whether it be with his feet, straight off the ground or with his hand and doing side volleys on distribution. His character of training hard all the time. It’s very tough to be his age and train, train and train — especially for goalies that have to collapse and hit the ground and get up and bang it up with the guys in set pieces and all that type of stuff. He’s a true warrior, a great professional, deserves everything he’s gotten. It’s given the team an identity because of the style of play he has. It’s allowed Real Salt Lake, for the most part, to always be a possession-based team, because of Nick’s style of play. Everything he’s gotten, he deserves. We’re happy for him. We hope he can help us, help the team and us help him try and get as far as we can this year, to give him, hopefully, one more trophy.”
On Sam Johnson and Justen Glad being out of the starting lineup tonight:
“Sam was rest. He put in a big shift in New England on turf and then a good shift against Galaxy. Glad was a little bit more tactical. I spoke to him. It’s hard. It’s a hard decision to make with our centerbacks — Marcelo [Silva], Nedum [Onuoha], Justen, and you can’t forget about Erik Holt, who played very well in New England and I think had the game-winner last night with the Monarchs. That’s four very good centerbacks, three very good veteran centerbacks. At times it hurts, you have to make that decision. I don’t get much sleep when I have to make that decision. We thought Marcelo and Nedum was going to be the tactical partnership that would cope with the two guys they were putting in, which was [Alberth] Elis and [Mauro] Manotas. I think they proved us right, it was a good pair. It has nothing to do with we don’t like Justen Glad, he’s just as important as everyone else. I know how good that kid is and how good he’s going to be later in the future. That was the decision that we did, just like a couple weeks ago, leaving him in and Marcelo coming out was a decision we made back then and we just hope when we make those decisions, they can embrace it and help the team win.”
Goalkeeper Nick Rimando
Overall thoughts:
“Awesome day. Awesome night. Great experience to share with my family, friends, and all the fans. I’m so happy that we got the result that we needed. That makes it even more special and now let’s celebrate a little bit and look forward to the next game.”
On settling in on an emotional night:
“I was definitely not myself today. I was a little more quiet and to myself and taking it all in. I had a lot of family and friends in town that got out of my hair so I could do my own thing. It was almost worse because it was so quiet in the house, so I was constantly thinking about today. Once you’re on the field, you focus on the game. We had a great start and then weren’t as sharp today. If we came out a little bit different and controlled the first half a little bit more, it would have made it an easier day on us. I think we made it harder on ourselves in the first half, but we rebounded in the second half.”
On the pressure being off ahead of Vancouver:
“We knew a couple weeks in that it was in our hands. Tonight it was another scenario where if we win we know we’re in the playoffs, so it feels great. All the boys worked hard all year and obviously some results have been going our way. Once you’re in, you’re in. It doesn’t matter what kind of results that you have. Obviously, we would want to be at home for the first one. You saw what we did last year, and everybody in this locker room is excited.”
On the emotions:
“Obviously Corey coming back into the lineup and getting that early goal and giving us the momentum helped. When the last whistle blew with three points in the bag it felt good.”
On the possibility of a home playoff game:
“I think that’s the goal of everyone in the locker room. To be back in front of fans again and for me personally it’d be great. It’d be fantastic to represent the fans again and play at elevation. We just need to handle business in Vancouver now. That starts when we get to work next week.”
Forward Corey Baird
On scoring one minute into the match:
“I don’t think anyone’s expecting to score a goal that early. Good to start on a strong foot, I think we were looking to put some pressure on them. Forced a turnover in the midfield and when you win the ball there, there’s a lot of space.”
On focusing during an emotional night:
“I think we’re professionals. There is a lot of extracurricular stuff going on, but I think for us as players — maybe Nicky, it’s a little bit in his head, or Tony — but for the other guys, I think we’re just looking to go out there and do our job, approach the game how we always would. It was a game where if you get three points, you’re in the playoffs, so I think we were just looking at that.”
On what the week has been like with 2009 team, retirement ceremonies:
“I think it’s pretty cool seeing some of the history of the club, especially because we have a fairly young team. I think a lot of guys can look at that and aspire to do some of the things that these older guys have done. Hopefully this year we can have a good run in the playoffs and maybe imitate a little bit of the ’09 team.”
On adjusting in the second half:
“I think it’s just energy. I think we got real complacent, thinking Houston is a team that didn’t have much to play for, we went up 30 seconds into the game, we’re just going to roll over this team, it’s going to be easy, we’re at home, altitude. Games in this league aren’t always going to be easy, no matter who you play, anyone can beat you. At halftime, it was really like, ‘Hey guys, this isn’t good enough.’ We had to look at ourselves, that wasn’t the team that we are, 15 minutes to 45 in that second half. We didn’t want them coming in here and dominating the ball like they did.”
On the feeling in the locker room after clinching a playoff berth:
“It’s awesome. Everyone is really happy. Obviously, every team’s goal is Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup, but to do that, you have to make the playoffs. It’s about those smaller goals that get you to these bigger achievements. We’ve now hit this one and now it’s on to the next.”
On going into the Vancouver game having clinched a playoff berth:
“There’s no pressure now. It’s nice that we control our own destiny. You never want another team to have your fate in their hands. I think this game against Vancouver, it’s going to be an away game, tough place and play and travel. We’re fighting for home games in the playoffs. I think we’ve shown how strong we are at home and although we know we can go on the road and get a W, I think being at home is a big advantage for us. This is a game where, if we don’t win, we’re still in the playoffs, but it’s something that’s really important to us.”
Defender Tony Beltran
On playing for just one club his whole career:
“It’s been wonderful. I feel extremely fortunate to have stumbled into this opportunity. I can’t believe I’ve been here for 12 years and Real Salt Lake and Salt Lake City are the primary characters in my life. I feel so fortunate for what this community, this team and everyone here in this stadium has afforded me in life.”
A message to the fanbase:
“I would love to say thank you. Thank you, a thousand times. Everybody in this community has welcomed me with open arms. I came here at a very young age and I’ve grown up in this city, I’ve grown up in front of everybody’s eyes here. I’ve stumbled and fallen more times than I can count but everybody has just been kind and compassionate towards me and I’ll never forget that gesture. Thank you everyone.”
Houston Dynamo
Interim Head Coach Davy Arnaud
On what to take away from the game:
“The first half went very well. RSL had a very good start to the game and obviously not a good start for us, but we responded well. In some ways we carried the game for large portions in the first half. We created chances to score the goal and we created more chances. We probably could have had a little more in the first half. The second half was a different story. We didn’t put in a ton of work to get the chances, but I thought it was another game we were going to get a result from. We can talk about the performance but we have to find a way to get a result out of a game like this. I thought we were good enough to do that. We need to take a good hard look and assess what we need to get the result we should get.”
On team fatigue in a tight week:
“It’s a tough week. Three games in a week, which is not easy. It’s a lot of travel; We’ve been on the road for about a week now. We factored that in and we put a lot into the game on Wednesday night. Coming here at altitude, it’s an amazing place to play and they’re a good team, fighting to get into the playoffs. There are a lot of factors at play and we had to make some changes, injury wise and just to rotate some guys out for freshness. Considering all that in the first half, I was very pleased. Maybe a little bit in the second half, we just ran out of gas a little bit and it was combination with not being as sharp as we were in the first half. Maybe all those factors played into it, but again we just have to find a way to get the result.”
On moving forward:
“The next few days we will be watching. When the players come back we will take a look at this game and will put it aside because I said that we want to finish the season well and we want to go home and win the last game at home. There’s no doubt that’s going to be our approach. That’s what we all want and I know that’s what the players want it’s what the club wants and it’s what the fans want. So we are just focused on the next one.”
Midfielder Tommy McNamara
On the performance and overall assessment:
“It's frustrating to keep going down on goal, especially away from home, but even at home for various different reasons it's difficult. It's difficult to keep coming back [from a goal down] and mentally it wears on you. But it's a credit to this group that, even though we give up a goal it's a mistake and mistakes happen. It happens, but it's a credit to the group that, even though we're out of the playoffs, we don't just give up on the game. We don't disrespect the game and disrespect the club or each other and disrespect the fans like that. We fought to the end. But, again, it's difficult going down a goal game after game after game.”
On second-half break down:
“Coach said it was a good first half, which it was. I thought we played well, other than the first minute, but if you take that out of the equation, I thought that we were the better side in the first half. We were more dangerous and we scored one goal, and maybe we should have scored a second goal that would have helped us a lot to go into the half up with the lead at halftime. And [coach] said we need to continue to keep doing the things that we've been doing, and we need to be solid defensively. We need to score our chances and to try to be clinical. I thought we approached the second half in the right way, but RSL played better. They played with a little bit more intensity, and for this reason, the game became difficult, and we found it hard. But I thought we did enough to maybe get something out of the game, whether it was a tie or maybe even stealing a win away from home which is obviously difficult for us to do. So we're proud of that. But again, we want to win games or at least get positive results.”
