Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines
Opening Statement
“Disappointed with the result but not the performance. I thought between the two halves we put some really good pressure on, forcing a lot of turnovers, a lot of errors. I sound like a broken record but it’s fine margins again. We're so close to scoring. They're clearing two goals off the line. It's just not meant to be right now. I just told the players at the end of the game that you've got to keep believing and keep pushing and it will turn around. There's a lot of great moments within the game, but we’ve got to continue to do what we’re doing, and it will turn around, at some point. Luckily for us, there is still enough time in the season to turn it around. The challenges have been, obviously, a three-game week and quick turnaround but I’m not one to make excuses. I thought we were great. I thought there was a lot of intent today. It’s come down to a moment.”
On the message at halftime
“I think we struggled at times. The message at half time was when we do switch the point of attack, it does unlock them, and we get good opportunities to score. I think we had three opportunities in the first half where we switched the point of attack, created overloads in those wide channels and whether it resulted in a cross or a shot, those are moments we wanted to highlight. There were also moments where we played into their trap with the intensity of their press and that's going to happen at times. In the second half, the gap started to open up a little bit more for both sides but there was also a lot of desire to get behind the ball and not allow the other team to amount to anything. Like I said, it was a quick turnaround. Some players have had to play three 90s in a week, which is obviously tough. But these are the challenges that we face in the league and we wouldn't swap it. We want to be in Concacaf, we want to be in the league fighting for a playoff spot or fighting to go up in a playoff spot. I think we've got to embrace those challenges and I thought the players did extremely well tonight.”
On adding more dimensions to the offense
"It’s not forcing it. There are different types of crosses. You've got out-swinging crosses from someone like Oihane or [Kerry] Abello on the opposite side. Marta on that left-hand side, but Jacquie [Ovalle] on the right-hand side [with] in-swinging crosses, and sometimes, if no one touches it, it can go into the back post. Creating overloads and those back zones, as well. The weakside winger going in and potentially getting an opportunity to score, as well, and causing second balls. I think we got to the byline and it was a cut back cross and Haley [McCutcheon] gets a shot off, but it gets cleared off the line. Those are the moments where you were saying, we're doing a lot of great things, it's just not falling our way. Then I think there was a moment where even towards the end in the 95th or 96th minute, it lands to Summer Yates and it gets cleaned off the line again. So just causing chaos, as well. Good things can happen and that's why we have to continue to be persistent with it. Because like you said, there are a lot of bodies in the middle, but there's good things that can happen when we get those crosses or things can land on us. But we have to continue to work on it.”
Orlando Pride Midfielder Angelina
Opening Statement
“Tough game. We tried everything we could. It was unfortunate in the last two minutes of the game we just got scored on. They got lucky, but we kept trying. I mean that’s the spirit of this team. We keep trying, we keep fighting and we are going to try and find that win.”
On reacting to North Carolina’s pressing
“We made good plays. We had some good moments in the game. Obviously, they do have a really high pressing team and sometimes they go one-for-one, so it's tough to play out of that. I think we had good moments in the game. Obviously, they're a good team, too. So, they were going to press and we were going to regain the ball. But I think we did well in some parts. In the second half, we were on top of them all the time. So, we just missed the goal. We created chances. We were crossing the balls. Just unlucky.”
