Head Coach Ben Olsen
On the outcome of the game…
“I’m happy we advanced. One game to play, obviously we’re going to go down there and try to make sure we get the fourth result that we want. They’re good wins, and these games are never easy, no matter who you play. The last two games, I still want a little bit more in the finishing product, really when we have so many chances and teams are pushing forward, and there is so much space in behind. We just need to connect a little bit more in the final third and get better with our chances. Overall, the group has a good spirit about them, and they continue to get wins in this competition, so it’s all positive."
On the “second” unit playing in SCCL games…
“They take it as a big challenge. These are real games, and they mean a lot to these players, it means a lot to the club, and they understand that. The one thing I don’t doubt for a second with the crew that plays these games is their effort and their ability to compete. Sometimes the final stuff isn’t always there, but their willingness to go out there and match the energy and match the commitment of the other teams is real. That’s a big component to some of these CONCACAF teams.”
On who stood out during the game…
“I thought Luke Mishu had a good game and Conor Doyle did, too. I thought those two, right away, stand out for me. But there were a lot of pretty good performances out there. Again, everybody competed very hard, and everybody played both sides of the game. Everybody put a good shift in, and sometimes that gets you results.”
On satisfaction with scoring an early goal…
“Yes and no. It’s good, especially because you know they have to come at you and you now understand there is going to be even more space behind. But we didn’t do well enough to really exploit that. They’ve got some guys that are a real handful. They really challenge you with 1v1 duels. You really have to move your feet and understand how to defend because of their quickness and their ability to put you on your heels. I thought the second half we did a lot better digging in and making sure we won those battles.”
On the importance of seeding in the SCCL…
“It didn’t help us much this year, but we’re going to go about the game with a similar group with a similar mentality. We need to win the next one. You always want to be the highest seed possible in these types of tournaments to set yourself up to succeed next year. Now that we know we’re in, it makes planning the preseason and some of our preparations for next year a little easier and solidifies some things that we can start to get settled.”
On the club’s overall play in CONCACAF action…
“It depends who we’re playing. It depends who, it depends where. It’s always a challenge for the MLS teams to get up to speed, to change the way you do your periodization throughout your preseason, to speed that up in a safe way for your players. It’s a challenge, it’s a real challenge.”
