QUOTE SHEET
Real Salt Lake 0-1 Portland Timbers FC
Providence Park; Portland Oregon
August 31, 2019
Real Salt Lake
Interim Head Coach Freddy Juarez
Overall thoughts:
“We deserved something out of this game. At minimum we deserved a tie. It’s ironic, we’ve been working a lot on combination play around the top of the box and finishing. We created more than enough chances to get the result and we just didn’t score. I believe we won the possession battle, shot battle, the duels battle was close. I’m happy for the guys because of their performance, but sad for them because when the guys put in an effort like that, you want them to get a result out of it. I hope they realize it was a good team effort.”
On the effort from the group:
“I’m more than pleased with the second half performance. Like I said, the stats show we came to play tonight. We didn’t sit back but controlled the game. We had a good defensive block and shape with commitment to it. We created the chances but needed the patience to finish the chances. Maybe we needed a little bit more composure. If the last shot Aaron has goes in, then it ends up differently. We’re not happy with the result but we’re happy with the commitment.”
On Portland’s goal:
“I don’t have the sequence clear in my head. Maybe it was a bit of miscommunication in our half, maybe didn’t anticipate like we should and leave someone of Valeri’s quality with a chance, he’ll punish you. But we’re happy with the commitment from the guys.”
On the international break:
“The next team we play is the team that plays differently from everyone else in the league. This little break gives us a little time. We won’t be able to work with all of our players due to the break, but really assess the film and put together a good game plan together because that game is going to be huge for us.”
Midfielder Damir Kreilach
On the result:
“We are frustrated. We want to defend our second place in the table. At the end of the day we played well. Honestly, I don’t remember one game this year away from home where we were open in the box. We created so many chances and we didn’t use it. It’s hard to find the words but we have to pick our heads up and keep going.”
On the chances created:
“Everything we did in training this week we put on the field. We just missed the goal. We wanted to get the points here. As I said, we have to put our heads up and keep going."
Defender Justen Glad
On what he saw on Diego Valeri’s goal:
“He was taking the ball down the field and it put us in a tough position because me and Nedum [Onuoha] both had runners off our shoulders so we couldn’t quite step to him and he hit it perfectly. He struck it nicely and it was a great goal.”
On coming back strong despite the loss:
“I think the whole team knows we put in a good effort, we created our chances away from home and it’s you know, it’s not like we got dominated or anything. So I think we’ll use it as momentum for our next game. And I don’t think that this game is going to deter us in any way, shape or form.”
On meeting with the United States U-23 camp during the International Break:
“Obviously you know qualifiers are right around the corner you know, so I want me and all the RSL boys to show up and you know, get more familiar with the staff, with the players and again bring that momentum back in for San Jose.”
On taking positives from limiting the Timbers’ attack:
“I mean obviously the loss stings a bit and we’re going to go back and watch film obviously, but I think aside from you know, putting ourselves in trouble in the first half, it was a pretty solid game. We’ll look at it, learn from it and move on.”
On staying high up the pitch late in the match:
“Nedum [Onuoha] was playing up, I kind of just went up just because that’s what the game called for. They weren’t really leaving anyone high, so I felt we were pretty secure back there and just having an extra body up there always is going to help.”
