QUOTE SHEET
Real Salt Lake 4-1 Colorado Rapids
Dick’s Sporting Goods Park; Commerce City, Colorado
August 22, 2020
Real Salt Lake
Head Coach Freddy Juarez
On second-half adjustments:
“I thought a couple of things happen. We started with 60-something percent possession, but we were kind of falling into a trap playing our first option and they picked us off a couple of times. So we adjusted that at halftime. We asked to try to play a ball that’s higher up the park to break their initial, five-player pressure. And then we thought that we could make and adjustment and be more attack-minded, dropping Damir, leaving Albert as the 10 and putting Corey as the nine. We thought it was important tonight to have a number nine that has a lot of pace and what happened with Douglas changed the gameplan. Chang came in and we thought he’s been training very well. I told you guys in the lead up to Orlando that the whole team is training well and we’ve had intrasquads and they are hard games and guys looked sharp. At any given time someone could be given the opportunity. Chang embraced the opportunity and he’s been working his tail off. It comes from him working hard and recovering and going the other way. It makes me proud that the team embraced the situation and let someone like Chang make a difference.”
On taking more risk in the second half:
“Nothing was communicated about risk. The biggest thing we wanted was, for example when Justen Glad or Nedum had it, we didn’t want our wingers coming to the ball in that area. We wanted them to either stay high and wide to allow Albert to function between the lines or if they came in they didn’t drop, but they stayed between the lines. That was the biggest adjustment we asked and then we got a little more attack-minded with our personnel. We were getting possession, but we were giving away possession with the pass that we didn’t want to give. We were getting more aggressive with the pass and getting higher.”
On success in opening matches this season:
“We have a good team. I also feel that Matt Howley and Ryan Cotter – our strength and conditioning people - do a heck of a good job of keeping the guys in good form. The last three years with our science department – and Matt Howley leading that– we’ve gotten a little bit stronger as the season goes on and I hope it’s not any different this year.”
On Maikel Chang:
“It’s confidence for himself and our confidence in him. We have that confidence and that’s why he’s here. Olave and Matt Glaeser did a great job with him with the Monarchs and he’s the assist leader in USL history. You saw that today. When he crosses a lot of times it gets to someone. It’s another piece that we use with no hesitation. Tyrone and Steffen said that he might be a guy who is good for this game and he was. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. Tonight it worked and hopefully it gives him the confidence that he can make a difference in this league.”
Midfielder Damir Kreilach
On the game:
“I don’t want to talk much about the goal. I want to talk about our performance which, especially in the second half, was great. In the first half, we had some kind of control, but we didn’t create many chances. Then because of one mistake we concede one goal. In the second half, we played very well. We scored in 30 minutes, four goals. That says a lot about our team and our confidence right now. We have to keep going to stay positive and then get ready for a big game against LAFC.”
On Maikel Chang:
“Honestly, he was our game-changer. But he doesn’t surprise me at all. We train with him every day and everyone knows Chang’s quality and he showed today what he can do. To have one more player of his quality is a big thing for our team. He has to keep going – as we all do – to be ready for the game on Wednesday.”
On the importance of the win:
“It was so important because every game right now is a six-point game. To take three points against Colorado is a big win. At the end of the day, we have a hard schedule in these next five games, so to take three points today is a big thing. We have to think positive and be ready for what we can expect these next couple of weeks. Our goal every game is to get three points and it won’t be easy, but we will give everything to get it.”
Forward Justin Meram
On the game:
“I think in the first half we weren’t trying to play passive. We wanted to go and try and score goals. In the second half, we started off strong and one goal leads to another and we shifted the momentum to our favor once we got the first goal. You saw some composure in good spots on the field.”
On the Rocky Mountain Cup rivalry:
“I’ve been here and we’re 2-0 against Colorado. So the rivalry is decent in our favor.”
On Maikel Chang:
“He’s a very tricky winger. He’s very good on the ball. Sometimes we don’t even know if he’s left-footed or right-footed and we train with him every day. A great guy in the locker room and we’re all so happy for him. He put in a lot of work in training throughout this year and for him to sub in at half and have two assists and a goal, that performance speaks for itself. Overall I think we should all tip our hat to Chang. He was the Man of the Match for sure and hopefully there’s more to come from the young Chang.”
On success in opening matches this season:
“I think we’re just excited. We’re sick and tired of playing 11v11 against each other for weeks. We want to go out and kick somebody else and really battle and play for one another in a real match. We prepare for the restart and it’s here. We told ourselves we were going on the road for game one of six of this stretch so let’s get off on the right foot. That second half was a beautiful game of ours.”
