Head Coach Adrian Heath
On starting 3-0-0 in road matches this season, including the win over St. Louis CITY SC…
“It’s been a great start on the road. Would’ve liked to have gotten a couple more points at home, but I would have settled with where we are before the season started. Compliments to the players – their work rate and energy levels, on the road and difficult places to play, have been amazing, really, when you consider that two or three of the group were all over the world in the week. Some of the are arriving back late [last] Thursday evening after 22 hours on a plane. So, to perform like they did speaks volumes. Tells you about them as professionals.”
On the chemistry of the group right now…
“One or two need to improve their dance moves. But, it was great to see. It’s a part that sometimes the supporters and people don’t see. We’ve got a really good togetherness. It’s a happy group at the minute and I’m not naïve enough to think that winning games and not having a defeat on the board is not helping that. Obviously, we keep this going and keep working with the players to tell them whey we’re getting these results. It’s not easy, it’s not simple. But, they’ve worked so hard. Their defensive shape, their willingness to run and covering each other has been there to see. And if we continue to do that, we can win games.”
On the defensive play and only conceding three goals so far…
“I think the defense would be the first to say it’s what’s going on in front of them as well. And that starts with the two front players, their work rates, their energy levels have been unbelievable. We’ve changed the shape of the team, which is something that affects everybody, but the two have done great up top making it go wide. Then, we’ve worked from there and the midfield four have worked so hard and the back four have been excellent. I think Boxy [Michael Boxall] is playing as well as he has at any stage and then Micky’s [Miguel Tapias] come in and given us a real composure and solidity in there. So, yeah, it’s a collective. Everybody’s defending, everybody’s attacking, and it’s going well at the moment.”
On having a nearly full squad available heading into playing Chicago…
“We’ve got a week now where we have one or two [players] carrying little knocks; we can give them a little bit more time, they can get in their own bed, they can sleep and have their body clock back to normal. All these little things have an effect and that was one of the pleasing things at the weekend. It was the likes of Bongi [Bongokuhle Hlongwane] and Boxy [Michael Boxall] 22, 24 hours on an airplane, completely different time zones and different time of the day. So, for them to play the way they did speaks volumes as professionals, and I think that it just epitomizes the group at this point in time.”
On what the team might expect facing Chicago Fire on Saturday…
“We watch all their games and I think they’re probably three or four goals shy of where they think they should be, they’ve had really good opportunities. You’ve heard me say it a million times – goals change games. They’ve left a few out there. It will be tough for us. As you said, they’ve gone three unbeaten [at home], better confidence in the group now, maybe [Xherdan] Shaqiri’s back, another quality player. So, it’s never easy a game, I think that Ezra [Hendrickson] will be aware that we’re doing really well on the road and that we’re coming in there to win the game.”
On the possibility of Sang Bin Jeong’s debut this Saturday…
“He’s available now and can get a week’s training and can start to calm down, get to know his teammates a little bit better. Integrate him into the locker room a little bit better. He’ll certainly be involved at some stage.”
On having the nearly-full roster of players to select from…
“It’s important for the group and as a coach, I know that one of the best forms of motivation is when there’s other people waiting to take your place. As I’ve said to them, possession’s nine-tenths of the law. You’ve got the shirt, make sure you keep it.”
Midfielder Wil Trapp
On beating St. Louis last weekend and remaining unbeaten…
“Intense. I think we had to weather the storm a little bit in the first half. I think our guys did a really good job of sticking together and not always being the cleanest in moments, but still creating chances. I think our guys did amazing playing forward, continuing to work on the defensive shape, preventative marking when we are attacking. And then sealing holes and backing each other up when we were against the ball. So, you saw that second half, a little bit of a change from us in the sense of combining and running forward and keeping the ball a little bit better, and ultimately, I think Luis [Amarilla] did a great job to create the penalty and then finish it in the ‘lion’s den’, I think one of the quotes called it [CITYPARK]. It’s always, always great to go away from home in a packed stadium and kind of rain on the parade, and I think our guys were pretty satisfied with that.”
On what the Loons have done well to stay unbeaten after five matches…
“I’ve just touched on it. I think it’s understanding that we all kind of have to adjust our roles and responsibilities to fill gaps, whether it’s six or seven guys away for international duty and guys picking up the slack, or new roles and responsibilities within the tactics of the team. I think we’ve been super adaptable and committed to winning, committed to just busting, every minute of every game. Now, we want to just win this game in Chicago away from home, but we want to bring our supporters a win at home. They deserve that, and our performances should warrant that as well.”
On preparing ahead of Chicago Fire match this weekend…
“For me, I haven’t been able to watch a ton of them [Chicago Fire] yet. That’s usually our schedule throughout the week – to get eyes on them earlier in the week and then reinforce it as we get in the week. They’re a group that I think we played against last year that can score multiple ways, they have an interesting profile of striker, of players that come underneath, and whether it’s set pieces, whether it’s through the run-of-play, they find ways to put you in awkward spots. Ultimately, it’s no different for us in terms of opponents in the sense of it’s going to be away from home and [against] a team that is desperate to win. We just have to account for that.”
Midfielder Kervin Arriaga
On the match against St. Louis CITY…
[SPA] “Fue un partido muy complicado. Se nos complicó en ciertas partes, en los primeros minutos. Gracias a Dios supimos manejar esas situaciones. Sacamos el resultado, que era lo que todos queríamos y ahora nos estamos preparando para una nueva semana, un nuevo partido y tratar de buscar un resultado bueno.”
[ENG] “It was a difficult game. It was difficult for us at certain points, in the first minutes. Thanks to God we were able to manage those situations. We got the result, which is what we wall wanted y now we are preparing for a new week, a new match and trying to get a good result.”
On what the group is doing well to be undefeated in their first five games …
[SPA] “Estamos trabajando bien, y aun siempre hay detalles que afinar, que seguir mejorando. Por ahí, el profe nos esta ensenando los videos para seguir buscando esos detalles, afinarlos y buscar, siempre…estar ahí peleando partido a partido. Lo invicto es que se da en el futbol. Gracias a Dios estamos ahí luchando, haciendo las cosas bien, y vamos a seguir por ese camino.”
[ENG] “We are working well, and there’s always details that need refining, but we’re getting better. You know, the coach is showing us video so we can look for those details, polish them and look, always…to be there fighting each game. The undefeated is something that happens in soccer. Thanks to God we’re there fighting, doing things well and we’re going to keep going on that path.”
On how the team is preparing for Chicago Fire …
[SPA] “Nos estamos preparando bien. Como repito, todos los partidos aquí son muy difíciles, son muy duros pero el equipo está comprometido, está unido para pelear este torneo. Vamos a ir y tratar de hacer las cosas bien y preparando fuerte esta semana.”
[ENG] “We’re preparing well. Like I’ve said, all the games here are very difficult, very hard but the team is committed, is united to fight during this season. We’re going to try to do things well and preparing hard this week.”
