Orlando City SC Assistant Coach Diego Torres
On the team’s performance
“The team has generated a lot of goal-scoring opportunities [in recent matches]. Today we created many, as well. The team is playing well with the ball, we’re getting close to the goal many times, but today, the goal closed off to us. We’re one of the strongest attacks in the league, but there are moments that happen in football when the goal closes itself to you in a match like today’s. Their goalkeeper kept out many opportunities—two from Ramiro [Enrique], one that hit the post—shots that were on target and not that we missed. And sometimes we have wayward passes because we take risks, but I think the boys are doing the right things heading forward. We’d been doing the right things defensively. Today, we had distractions in two minutes that I think cost us the game, beyond the first goal, which I think is separate. But we have to continue on because we’ve done a lot of good things. We had a streak of 12 games that the team went without losing. Now, we lose two games in three games. It’s difficult, it’s tough, but this team has shown a strong resilience, and this team has shown that it gets up. Today, what we have to do is dust ourselves off a bit, that the players rest and regain their energy, and we’ll surely come back stronger because that’s the DNA of this club. Orlando has always bounced back from these moments. And, well, right now we have 27 points that we have to recognize because we did a great first part of the season. We would’ve liked more. With Atlanta, we had the game, and today, this happens to us, but we’re firm, we’re strong, and the team will surely continue to bring joy to the fanbase, which today, we have to thank them for their support until the final minute. And the boys, as well, to thank them for giving their best effort until the end seeking a result, which we lost in two minutes, but that we still sought with the front foot. We’re going to continue persisting to score goals and to defend them well. We’re okay. Today, was two bumps that we’ll overcome.”
Orlando City SC Defender Alex Freeman
Opening statement
“I feel like we didn't start as strong as we wanted to. Obviously, the first 30 minutes, we were already down 3-0, and I feel like our personality is to come out and strike first. I feel like in this game especially, we came out too slow. I feel like as a team we wanted to start better and perform better. In the second half, we kind of got our stuff together, but we weren't able to get the goals that we wanted. We ended up losing, so we have a little break now. It's good that we can recap this game, try to get our heads off this and try to move on to the games after the break.”
On the difficulty of climbing out of an early deficit
“You have to keep your head up and keep pushing. Obviously, in the first five minutes you never want to be down 1-0, but [Chicago Fire] ended up scoring and then it's just trying to fight back and try to just get the goal back. I think some of us put our heads down a little too early and as a team, I don't think we were all together, especially in the first half. So, I feel like some of us put our heads down and that's not the way we wanted to do it.”
On his goal tonight
“We went over that set piece a lot during training the past week. It was just me and Robin [Jansson] trying to decide who goes first and who goes second. Tincho [Ojeda] put in a wonderful ball and Robin kind of blocked the guy for me. Then I just headed it, got a little deflection and it went in. So, obviously, I was hoping that was going to be the way that we could come back.”
Orlando City SC Forward Ramiro Enrique
Opening statement
“A difficult game because at home we’re very strong and we hoped and had the confidence that we would get the three points. But this is soccer. These are things that happen. We gave it everything and the result didn’t go our way, but now we have a few days of rest to return to 100%.”
On how difficult the recent schedule has been
“It’s difficult because we’re not used to it, but we’re professionals. This is what we train for. We have to always be at 100% because this is how we make a living and that’s what it’s about, being at 100% for every game. We’ve felt it a bit these last two, three games, but I think it’s normal. We played nine games in May, which we’re not used to, but like I said, we’re professionals. We need to be up to it. It cost us a bit these last games, but we have a break now to get back to 100%.”
On tonight’s difficulty scoring
“We had many chances, it just didn’t turn out. Football is like this sometimes. You have one [chance] and you score the goal and win 1-0, and there are times when you shoot a ton of times and it doesn’t want to go in. Their goalkeeper also did well. He saved two from me that were good chances, but we always made the effort, we gave it all. We leave frustrated because we could have tied it, but we know we gave it all and those are things that happen in football.”
