New York Red Bulls Head Coach Jesse Marsch
Jesse, it seemed like before Connor scored, there were some frustration out on the field, trying to get inside the box, get a shot going. Tell the guys to keep on going, you'll find the shot soon enough?
Well, I think they came out and had a really good start. They kept things tight. It wasn't easy to break them down. We knew that they would have a good start and we were prepared to be on top of the game as well.
Then obviously over time, space starts to open up a little bit, we're able to probe, find little advantages. We get a goal on two set pieces again, which we've been good on, on the year.
Overall I thought that as much as maybe they were a little bit frustrated, that the chances weren't coming earlier. We also weren't giving anything away.
Another game at home where we can help ourselves by being a little bit more potent in the attack, but where the game is pretty much under control. That part has been good.
Felipe has played attacking midfield for you in Montreal and similar stops in Europe. What went into the decision to get him into to role tonight?
One, I think we're trying to give Sacha and Brad breaks at different times. The goal was for Brad to only go 60. When Felipe gets the goal it makes it easier to take him off. At 1-0, I wasn't sure.
Felipe, yeah, he has played for me at that number 10 role. He's very good at it. He's technical and good in tight spots. He's good at slipping a final ball to help lead to goals.
To be fair, Felipe reminded me of that a couple weeks ago, which I knew, but he's done such a good job in the deeper role, he and Dax have formed such a great relationship, I haven't really thought about visiting it too much. I thought overall Felipe was pretty good today and helped us gain some advantages in the attacking part of the field.
Can you talk about the defensive performance of your team tonight? I don't think Orlando had a shot until late in the second half.
I mean, the Cyle Larin chance was too easy, right, too easy for them to get a break. I'll have to take a look again at how our back line came apart.
When I say that I felt the game was really in hand, I really felt that way. It was a matter of how many times we could break down Orlando and how many times we could put it in the goal.
We've got a shutout string at home. That's pretty good right now. I feel like the more that we are defensively sound at home, and that's been a little bit of a shift we've made this year, I think last year we kind of almost attacked all out trying to find a way to get goals. This year we've been a little bit more cautious to protect ourselves from the counter.
It means we've managed to give up fewer goals. We always have faith that the goal will come for us. We have enough quality in the attacking part of the field that if we can get shutouts, we feel like we'll get wins.
Chris and Connor, how does it help you to have guys who can come in off the back line and give you an offensive punch?
I thought Chris' goal, from my angle, I thought it was going in. It was good timing for him. He was up the field in a way that we like him to be. He was able to help defend and also be available that if a ball comes loose, he can attack. He struck the ball well and Bendik makes a great save.
Connor's goal is really good. He just slows down a little bit. It's something we've been talking about, our outside backs, something that we've been talking to our outside backs about, is in the attacking part of the field slowing down a little, having a little bit more poise, coming up with more quality and final plays.
On the day I thought Connor and Chris did a better job with that. Obviously the goal was a really good one.
We talked about your defense before going into the international break. You just mentioned it now. The number I have is 627 minutes scoreless streak at home. Robles 23 saves over that against six very good teams. This back line, you had to do a lot of patchwork with it. What do you have to say about the resiliency with your defense, then the leadership of Luis Robles?
I would say in general this year has required resiliency. It has not been easy. We've demanded a lot out of ourselves in tough moments to figure out ways to get results.
The last four games I think in the league we weren't able to get a win. But there were a lot of good moments in those games. We've managed not to give much away.
So we're close. I really feel like that. We're really close to turning a corner and now starting to have results pile up for us. It's just a matter of executing a little bit more on the field and having a few more good performances, making big plays in each box.
It's coming. It's coming.
I would like to know what your take is on Gonzalo's performance tonight?
He came in. I thought he was a threat to get behind. Ideally he maybe gets a goal or two. Still trying to have some of his plays add up to more. But I thought it was exactly what we needed at the moment, to have a guy like Gonzalo pushing when they know he can threaten their back line.
If he gets a goal, we would all be saying it's a really good performance. Just finding a way to get himself on the scoring sheet.
With the shutout streak and the injury to Gideon Baah, how comfortable are you going forward with the current crop of defenders you have?
We like our defensive crew. You can tell that by the fact that we rotate them so much. A lot of times it's out of necessity, unfortunately, but other times it's out of having fresh legs on the field.
Tonight we made the decision to go with Chris Duvall. Sal was perfectly healthy, but we felt like having fresh legs was important. We trust Chris on a big level. We knew taking care of Brek Shea was a big job for the day.
Now that Damien is back, that gives us flexibility and depth at the center back position. We all feel for Gideon, it's a very unfortunate injury. We feel strongly he'll be back next year in big way.
We've done all this without Kemar as well. Kemar should be back in a couple weeks and getting ready to start playing games then. I think that only strengthens our back line.
I know you talked about Connor's goal. What do you think about his overall performance? First career MLS goal.
I mean, that's his first career goal, MLS, really? That's surprising.
On the play of Connor Lade:
Yeah, that's surprising, because Connor is actually quite good around the goal. He can strike a ball. I didn't know that was his first MLS goal. That's great.
Connor is awesome. Every time I get a question about Connor, I love gushing about Connor because he's just the kind of guy that every coach loves to have. He'll do whatever it takes. He'll fight for his teammates. He'll play any position. He'll win his battle.
I said he saved our season earlier in the year where he had some of these moments, cut up on his eye, wearing some kind of Rambo headband. That's who Connor is and we're very fortunate to have him.
Again on Connor Lade, question inaudible:
COACH MARSCH: Yeah, maybe he does. There's also a lot of teams that call and inquire about him. There's enough people that respect him and know that he's a quality guy and a very reliable outside back.
Nobody's getting him from us. We're keeping him (smiling).
We see in training how much you work on set pieces. How rewarding is it to another two of them come off tonight?
Yeah, Felipe has been lethal, right? We built in different deception for different plays so it keeps the keeper guessing. He doesn't know where the ball is coming from. That means when a guy steps up to hit it, if he hits it well, it can go in.
In the corner kicks, we're always trying to come up with creative ways to unbalance teams and create matchups. Overall the set piece portion of this season has been very good, probably our biggest bright spot.
New York Red Bulls defender Connor Lade
On being able to fit in at any position:
Oh, thank you very much, I really appreciate it. I try to do the best I can every time I’m on the field and am just glad to help the team as much as I can. Fortunately I was able to get the goal. First one, hopefully of many.
On scoring his first MLS goal:
Yeah, I was joking with Luis, I said I’m glad it wasn’t an own goal, my first goal so it was, you know, a long time coming, just glad to get that weight off my chest and just really overall happy with the team tonight. I thought we put in a good shift and a good result against a good team.
On getting another shutout at home:
Yeah, it’s huge. We haven’t been happy, you know, on the road. We’ve conceded some bad goals and just happy to turn it around from the start of the year and so we’ve been in a good run at home, keeping some shutouts and we’re just going to have to find a way to take a part of that recipe of success and bring it on the road with us because we know that’s going to lead to our success in the league. We’re just happy with the win tonight and hopefully it’s a jumping off point for us.
New York Red Bulls midfielder Felipe
On asking Jesse to play on the field:
I just think sometimes you, you just got to feel what is the best for my (team). I just said like if any time during the year he would ever need me there I would be ready for that and he gave me this opportunity. But it was just for this game and now we have we have Sacha - he’s our guy that is making the difference there all year long and I’m just the option and whenever I am called on I will be ready.
On being an attacking midfielder at heart:
It doesn’t matter where you play he can put me at Luis’ spot if he ever retired and then I give my best for the team.
On the free kick:
I saw the keeper moving a little bit toward, towards the middle and that would be great if I can hit it and I was glad that I could hit well.
On goal celebration for Gideon Baah:
He is part of the family. He is part of our group and we just want him to [have] a speedy recovery and come back stronger.
Orlando City SC Head Coach Bobby Murphy
Opening Statement:
I think we knew it would be difficult coming here. It's a tough place to come and play. They're very good at what they do. I think Jesse has them well prepared and well drilled.
We knew what to expect. I think we had a plan coming into it. I think the plan in a lot of ways worked. I think when we go back and look at it, it's the fine margins again that are costing us. We spent a lot of time the last three days looking at their set pieces. They're very unpredictable set pieces. They have a whole bunch of them.
We also talked about the second phase of the set piece, the initial clearance, then dealing with the second one. That's where the first goal came from, was people switching off.
The second one, Felipe took it well. It's set pieces again. I think they competed hard enough and had some good moments that they were in the game. I'm not saying the result was unfair, but I think when we look back we'll be disappointed with a couple just moments. We talk about it all the time. The game is made up of moments, and moments are important. You have to deal with that moment as it comes, then move on to the next one.
I think that will do.
Bobby, already lacking the personnel on your attacking midfield (indiscernible).
We'll just do the best we can. We'll go back and look at what we have available to us. We may have to tweak the shape a little bit. I think everything's really fresh right now. I think the best thing for us to do is go back, reevaluate where we're at. H is done as well.
I think it's one of these things tonight, I just told them in the locker room, I think the way they responded shows that they're a group that's in it together. They didn't give up on each other. They pulled together, had fight.
If Cyle takes that chance at the end with 15 minutes left to go, who knows what happens. But I think we'll just have to evaluate and do the best we can.
On the status of midfielder Harrison Heath:
I think it's a knee. I don't know how bad.
Joe, he's fine. He's tough.
Was the game plan to try to absorb the press and go for a counter?
The plan was this: was to not give them opportunities to press right away. If you notice, we went long with a lot of stuff. We put Carlos out there. They were probably expecting Cyle who is a post-up guy. Cyle could stretch them. We saw flashes of that a little bit. It sort of goes against who we are. At the same time down some personnel, being on the road, we didn't want to make it easy for Red Bull.
We thought as the game went on, if we could keep ourselves in it, because of the short turnaround time for them, the game time would open up. It did. The problem was we were down two-nil when it opened up.
Full credit to them. The game is about taking chances. They took them. Fair play.
Minus seven goal differential. How worried about the offensive production of your team are you right now?
I think for sure it's a concern. I mean, we're down some bodies. We miss Ricky. He's a tremendous help not only as a leader, but everybody knows what he can do as a player.
I think what I'll take away from this, I get accused of being the optimist guy, we didn't give up a goal in the run of play. The two goals came off set pieces. In the run of play, I thought we dealt with them pretty well, and they've got some weapons.
The goals, yeah, but it's not like we got tons of creative players flying around. We just got to do the best we can.
Players had a pretty public confrontation with fans last week. How have you been keeping them focused and upbeat?
I think you can't underestimate how badly they want to do well. They want to do well. They work hard to do well. They are bitterly disappointed in that locker room right now.
There's an old saying: You make your own luck. People say 'unlucky' in soccer all the time. You make your own luck. I think we have to go out, keep going, find a way to make our own luck, and things can turn.
I don't think anyone in there is giving up. I sure haven't given up. I think with the thing last week with the fans, I didn't see it. I have kids who have Twitter, a new thing called Twitter apparently. They keep me up to date on things that happen in the world.
I think what you see there is a symptomatic frustration that's being shared by everybody throughout the club in terms of getting the results. It's down to us to try to stem the tide and get something going our direction.
How tough has this stretch been for you?
I think they're a brave group and they'll put on a brave face. I think if you look back over the last month or so, there's been a lot of emotions flying around the club. I don't think you can underestimate with the tragedy that happened, the sadness that was in the group, what they tried to do to help bring the community some peace. They felt a real responsibility for that. That took a toll on everyone.
I said it in Orlando. You lose Adrian Winter, who is a great guy, a great player. It wasn't because he wanted to leave. He just did what was best for his family. You can't fault a guy for doing that. But you lose him on the field, you lose him off the field, in the training ground.
My heart breaks for them a little bit, the guys. I'm old. I know the sun will come up tomorrow, I know things will turn around. But I feel for them because they do give what they have. Sometimes it's not good enough, and sometimes that's the way the world works.
But it's no excuse to put your head down and mope. You have to stick out your chest, trod the road to our happy destiny.
Orlando City Forward Cyle Larin
On the match:
I think we held on for 44 minutes and the ball came back out on top of the box for them and I think we didn’t step and one guy hit a very nice shot. And I think we’re just making little mistakes. I think we’re doing better. We’re doing better as a team, and we’re coming together as a team, and I think it’s the little mistakes that are costing us, costing us games when we could be in the game. And in the second half, when I came in, we started getting chances and everyone started playing, so I think there’s positives to get in the second half.
On the different lineup:
I mean, I sometimes deserve to play and get the chance and go in there, and they did what they could tonight. I think it’s a team game and you only can win when everyone’s putting in the full effort.
On Orlando’s current form:
I mean, it’s tough. Not a lot of teams are going through what we’re going through, but I think we just got to come together as a team and grind it out and go into these games and hopefully get a point or three and that’s the only way you can come out of it, is just going into a game and working hard, no matter the result. You put in full effort, you get results.
Orlando City SC midfielder Brek Shea
On the team’s upcoming road trip to Vancouver without him and Carlos Rivas
I think my yellow card is crap. I [was] yelling at a teammate. I don’t understand it at all. Upset that I can’t go to Vancouver. Hopefully that can change, I don’t know. It’ll be another tough road trip for us, traveling across country, playing three days after playing in New York. We have a good team so hopefully we can stay positive and try to get something out of it.
On the team’s recent slide
I think it’s just a rough patch. Not fun to be a part of but it’s something that all teams go through. Hopefully it’s brighter on the other side.
On the frustration of allowing two set piece goals after defending well in open play
It’s very frustrating. I think the first one we had enough guys around but we just didn’t get to the ball. Second one, gave away a foul at the top of the box, I think it was a soft foul, but it’s frustrating to defend like that and to give away stupid goals like that.
