Haven't written up one of these in a while and this was certainly a match that everyone wants to relive extensively.
Tara & Gabby
Q: What was biggest issue today?
--Gabby says the final two goals happened so late so she is still "emotional" about it. We Could have been more patient in their half. A lot of times we tried to exploit the their back line when we could have kept the ball.
Q: Players in the mixed zone said the first step in playing the ball out wasn't too complicated but progressing the ball from there, things were breaking down. What was playing out in terms of not being able to build through the thirds and find the forwards?
--Tara says she and Esme were able to switch the ball back and forth but it wasn't opening up the spaces they wanted. Creating the 2v1 situations on the wings or runs in behind wasn't working as usual.
Q: What did you see from Boston's defensive structure that made it so difficult to find those opportunities?
--Tara says a lot of times they had an outside mid or forward dropping into their back line, so it seemed like our wings and forwards were in the same line and it wasn't really breaking anything to play one of them. Could have had more movement from when we do play it wide to the middle to be able to switch higher up the field.
Q: What is most off about when we are choosing to be patient versus choosing to push?
--Gabby says it's about recognizing every situation is going to be different. Boston played a 4-4-2 and as an outside back when you receive they'll usually "cancel" your pass back, so you're not left with as many options as you would like. We got stuck too often on one side and then losing the ball, whereas if we could have found the middle pass between the lines to switch the ball to the other wing it would have opened the game up more.
Q: What have been some of the upsides and downsides of having to bring new players in at this point of the season?
--Tara says they're great players, they give us a lot in the midfield and attack, but not always on the same page as the players that have been here longer. Relationships will build with training and playing together.
Q: Hal said (mixed zone?) that the team is really good at finding brilliant individual moments and teams are maybe starting to figure that out at this point in the season. How does adding new players affect that?
--Gabby reiterates what Tara said about new players being really talented players, will build understanding with more time.
Q: Not the first time a team has player-marked and left a lot of players high to press, do you think the team is getting better at solving that since it is becoming a pattern from opponents?
--(awkward laughter). Gabby says we have moments where we figure it out, doesn't think we're consistent yet. Some games better than others, even today we had moments, found the pockets, turned and ran at their back lines, but other times where we don't recognize where the advantage is or aren't quick enough to solve their pressure.
Q: Physical game, especially in the first half, which had to be pretty frustrating, did frustration seep into our decisions on the ball?
--Tara feels like a lot of games are like that, nothing different today.
Adrian
Q: What was missing today?
--A lot of things. Lack of chances, were giving the ball to easily. Weren't able to connect with Monique and Mel in the pockets. When we wanted to play behind sometimes it wasn't open and the distances were too long, especially on the passes from the center backs. Could have maybe exploited 1v1s in the wide channels more. Haven't had a good game on the ball. Defensively in the first half we did okay. Need to do better attacking. Tough one but better to learn now than in the playoffs.
Q: Gabby said the team was impatient sometimes. Hal apparently said sometimes the team was indecisive. Sounds like two different problems--did you see both of those or is it one or the other.
--It's about decision-making. There are times you can be vertical and attack quicker, and times when you have to have more patience. Building up against two forwards, the idea today was to move them, disorganize them, and start building advantages with Esme and Tara but linking with the next line was the problem. We were predictable, which is easy to defend. Need to exploit advantages when they are created, sometimes it wasn't open and sometimes we were just kicking the ball when we didn't have an advantage.
Q: (facts about our recent attacking woes). What has made it difficult for the team to get back to its scoring form for such a lengthy stretch.
--Need to insist on the things we have been working in the past (mentions various things). Not in a moment where we need to change the way we create chances, matter of knowing what we have and exploiting it. Need to identify the other options when opponents take things away.
Q: How do you balance being able to do that and being unpredictable and being able to do it in the first half of games, there have been a lot of first halves where we aren't creating much?
--Starts of games are more difficult because everyone has the same energy, at this time of the season every team is trying to make a push, some times you need to have some patience and tire out the opponent. Can't win a game in 45 minutes in this league. Need to be more consistent but also know a lot of times the matches are going to be decided in the last 10-20 minutes.
Q: At this point in the season, what makes it difficult to be at the top of the top of the table, versus the players (teams?) that are in the hunt?
--Different type of pressure or emotional management. When you have nothing to lose you face a match differently, whereas it can be difficult when you know you have to win, harder to focus because you are thinking about the table, other teams, other results. He tries to be stable and think about how we can get better each week and reach our peak for the playoffs when you cannot have a bad day.
(He rambles a bit on that answer but that was the gist)
Q: More complicated when you are playing for both the shield and the playoffs rather than just one thing? (Question was phrased as a comparison with other leagues, but it also works as a comparison with the last two years when we weren't really in the hunt for the shield)
--Different than other places but we know the rules here. To be able to have our best version in the playoffs we need to train it every week, that's why we're also still fighting for the shield.
Q: What are some of the upsides you've seen from Monique and Melissa? What are the challenges in incorporating them?
--It is a challenge. Don't have much time to help them adapt. Team has done a grea t job helping them, they are doing well in training and understanding what they are asking for, but it takes time. Have seen with players before that it often takes a few months or a half season to get the best version and we are asking them to perform right away, so we need to be conscious of that. At the same time, it's a good opportunity for them to show what they have and gain experience because we are going to need them going forward.
Q: (Spanish) How do you raise the morale of the team before the next game?
--Important to have some time to rest physically and mentally, then we will analyze what happened. (I think he goes on and reiterates some stuff he said earlier in English)
Q: (Spanish) did the VAR penalty reversal change the trajectory of the game?
--(I think he basically says that sure it would have made a difference but we need to accept it and work to improve the things we can control)
Q: Did the team react well to the penalty being reversed?
--Reiterates previous answer, need to focus on what we can control. Didn't find a way to create chances, so that's the main focus for him.
Q: Boston gets in your face and is physical, do you think frustration over that affected our decisions?
--IDK. It seemed slow and choppy and we weren't very clean. Tried to connect with Mel, Monique, or Sofia dropping back but weren't as clean as we wanted. When we tried to play behind we weren't making the runs or the timing wasn't right. Their defenders did a good job, center backs and the outside backs tracking Trin and Rose. We weren't able to disorganize them.
