Orlando City Head Coach James O’Connor
Opening statement
“Obviously very disappointed. I think we felt the first 30 minutes, 35 minutes, we were off. We looked a little bit flat, it took us a while to get going. Probably the last 10 minutes before the second half, we started to feel like we were coming into it more. Second half, I think we’ve absolutely bust, bust the game and completely dominated. Hit the woodwork whatever it is, three times, had some chances so we’re looking to get anything out of the game, but it’s obviously very frustrating when you have a game, especially when you have the ball bouncing off the crossbar and off the post, but it didn’t happen for us tonight.”
On the difference in performance on the road and at home
“I think in this particular game, it’s a little bit difficult because of the amount of games that we’ve had. When you look at the volume of games that we’ve had, we’ve obviously tried to manage that. I think the biggest thing tonight when you look at the actual game as a single event, I think as I said the first 30 minutes, you’re looking at [New York] Red Bulls to be fair have started bright. They’ve ended up getting a goal, but after that I don’t think we could’ve done much more to win the game. I think when you look at the chances and you look at the ones off the bar and off the post and everything, there was only one team second half that was trying to really go and get after it. I think when you look at that, it’s obviously really frustrating, but again it’s something that we need to try to look at. In regards to the first 30 minutes, we need to be a little bit sharper coming out to start the game because we got hurt in the first 30 minutes. They’ve had a couple of opportunities, Brian [Rowe]’s made a save, they’ve scored, but then after that as I said, we’ve completely pinned them in.”
On the change in energy between halves
“I think at halftime we just spoke that we need to press upon them our game and play at our tempo and move the ball quicker. I think second half we started to move the ball and we started to open them up and create some opportunities. I think first half it was a case of trying to deal with their style. It’s obviously very effective, but for us it was a case of manage their style, manage the areas that they want to play and then make sure that we come out and we play in the areas that we want to. I think second half we did that, we moved the ball better, we started to create some chances and should’ve gotten something out of the game.”
Orlando City Defender Ruan
On the disappointment of the loss
“Yeah, it was a tough result we fought since the beginning, the ball just didn’t go in. We did everything that we were asked to do, we did everything that we trained, but there are still a lot of games to be played in the league and we’re going to work harder this week to try to get a win next weekend.”
On what was said at half time
“We were upset by everybody, but they said to the players that we had to be more focused in the second half. We had to keep working, keep trying, keep trying and eventually the ball would go in, but unfortunately it didn’t.”
On the challenge of New York’s high press
“Yeah we knew that they were going to press right from the beginning. We tried to manage it in the first 30 minutes of the game, all this pressure, but I think we did a good job getting up from the back even with their pressure. Of course we studied and we knew their style and they are very good and their players too but they are also fighting into the top. They are a very good team and at the end unfortunately it went their way.”
Orlando City Forward Tesho Akindele
On slow start to match
“Yeah I agree with him [Head Coach James O’Connor]. I think Red Bulls are notorious for their press, you know. That’s their whole team identity is to high press, and I think maybe we didn’t believe in ourselves enough to pass the ball out of it. We tried to go in behind a lot, which was on sometimes, but maybe we could have tried to pass out of it, break their press, and kill their confidence, but we didn’t do that in the first half and I think it cost us.”
On halftime adjustments
“Just to go and impose ourselves on the game, we said. We’re playing at home, we know we’re a good team, we have good players. Go impose ourselves on the game, and I think the second half we did just that. We were camped in their half the entire second half. We couldn’t score, but I think it was a big change.”
On frustration from having lots of chances but not scoring
“Yeah, three posts, I think. Their goalie [Luis] Robles told me mine hit the post and then hit his heel, and still didn’t go in. Sometimes you get unlucky, sometimes you get lucky too. I’ve scored lucky goals too, so I guess today we just got unlucky. Hopefully next time it goes our way.”
