Orlando City SC Head Coach Oscar Pareja
Opening Statement
“Very disappointed with all this adversity, especially that we keep losing players at this point in the season. Also, our response, particularly in the second half, where I think we could have been better. We played against a rival who, especially in that half, put a lot of people between the lines, and we couldn’t manage it. If we had sustained possession a little longer, we could have had at least some initiatives. That was a big part of the difference in the game. We couldn’t get out of that domination that [Vancouver Whitecaps] had in the second half, and that cost us. We may be sad about conceding in the final moments of the game, but it’s not just that, it’s the whole thing. I think in the second half we could have been better, and they were better than us in that half. In the first half, it was much more of a game that could go either way, but we couldn’t sustain it in the second half.”
On losing defender Robin Jansson early to injury
“Pretty clear that when we lose a player early, it happened in the last home game also, it forces us to change a lot of things in the game plan. But that’s no excuse. We were expecting a better response. This adversity keeps coming, but I’ll always use it as a way to develop another solution and keep seeking another answer, because that makes us stronger. I think we responded well in the first half, but in the second half, we didn’t. At the end, when we analyze everything, obviously we’re sad about what happened to our Robin [Jansson]. We’ll see.”
On the team’s tactical changes after the early substitution
“We were definitely dropping too low and too quickly. But the response we had after the substitution was much better in the 25 minutes of the first half after Robin [Jansson] came out. I think our response was strong. We had to move a lot of players around and I was concerned that shifting so many might disrupt our rhythm and chemistry. In the first half, we responded well; in the second half, you could probably say we struggled. It was noticeable that we weren’t synchronized in our movements and it’s possible that all the positional changes and adjustments cost us. That surely could have impacted the game."
Orlando City SC Defender Dagur Dan Thórhallsson
Opening Statement
“Frustrating, I can say. I felt like we were defending for a very long time. That’s something we need to look at. I don’t know why we score and then just drop back and defend for almost the rest of the game. We counterattacked, but we need to keep the ball a little more, especially against these quality teams with quality players. That’s about it.”
On losing captain Robin Jansson and the changes it forced the team to make
“Yeah, of course, it’s a big shock when you lose, say, probably, the biggest player in the squad. He’s the captain. He leads the team. But it’s something we also need to do better, like mentally reset more quickly. I felt like in the first five minutes we did really well, and then we just dropped off. Of course, it’s a big blow, but I’m hoping and praying to God that he’s okay.”
On Vancouver’s press and counter press
“Yeah, it’s a good question, actually, one I don’t know the answer to. They were just very intense throughout the whole game. They pressed man-to-man and kept coming. It felt like, at least when I was playing in the middle, it was really heavy, and they came quickly. They’re just a really, really good team with good players. So, I don’t know. It’s also something we need to do better, when teams press high, we need to be able to stay calm on the ball and keep it a little better. It’s something we need to look at.”
Orlando City SC Forward Nico Rodríguez
Opening Statement
“We knew tonight was going to be a difficult game, complicated, even. We faced a great opponent that’s really good with the ball, and they do a lot when they have possession. They’ve got great players and obviously we have to keep an eye on Thomas Müller at all times and what he can do when he’s on the ball and the things he can create. We had players missing coming into the preparation this week, and that made things a little more difficult, but we stayed in the game and fought until the very last minute. Then they were able to get a goal we were really hoping to prevent.”
On his preparation and mindset this season including tonight’s match
“As you know, it’s been a difficult year for me so far. I haven’t had a lot of continuity, but that’s all part of the process. It’s part of adapting to new surroundings. For my part, I’m always going to work hard to be ready when my team needs me and when the technical staff needs me, to be able to do whatever role they ask. Tonight, I got a lot of playing time in a role that wasn’t my usual position, but I was ready to go out there and try to do my very best.”
On the team’s performance
“As I’ve said, it was a difficult and complicated game. We didn’t have much possession of the ball, and when we did, we weren’t in our best form. We weren’t dangerous with the ball. We didn’t show the best version of ourselves when we had possession, and that ultimately led to us losing the match tonight.”
