New England Revolution head coach Jay Heaps
On the result:
“Credit them, they did a great job. Not just their defense, it was a wonder strike as well. I think we were close a few times but in the end I think our chemistry was a little lacking and their chemistry was really strong.”
On the changes made across the lineup:
“Well it’s a clearly different team. You don’t get this many opportunities in this setting to run out younger guys together. But it wasn’t just the young guys, we had experienced guys on the field it’s just sometimes the chemistry takes a little while. Our urgency in the first half wasn’t there because you can make plays out of hard hustle and we didn’t quite do that. The second half we started to link together and put some more pressure on them. It felt like there was a goal in the game but unfortunately we didn’t capitalize.”
On whether he is disappointed with the result:
“Yeah, I’m disappointed in some aspects of the game. I think we could have come out – I think we had a put too much expectation and not enough preparation for this game. Guys like Sean Okoli – he hasn’t had a ton of minutes so we were asking him to play this game and go 90 minutes. We were asking a lot because there aren’t a lot of opportunities for him. You know, we send our players to Rochester and we need to continue to do that to get more minutes and have this be a little bit more of chemistry going in to the game.”
On the three substitutions he made during the second half:
The first substitution was Juan (Agudelo) played limited minutes the other night and we wanted some hold up play and I think Juan instantly changed the game. I think he was really good. I think Scotty (Caldwell) coming in was just to give us a little bit more of a playmaker, defensive midfielder. I thought Tyler (Rudy) did excellent – which again he’s someone who has been at Rochester and fitness wise was there but chemistry wise we weren’t totally in sync. And the last one, I wanted Zach (Herivaux) to get his first experience with our group. His first professional experience. So we put him into the game, in that moment maybe it’s going to be a special moment. Maybe he gets his head on a throw in or a corner kick or something and I thought Zach did a good job.
On trying find the right combinations in the midfield:
That was part of it and I think you’re trying to create little pockets of play. I think we switched things around when Juan (Agudelo) went in we put Diego (Fagundez) near him because they have good chemistry. So you’re looking for relationships on the field and things that we do during the regular season every day but we were trying to facilitate it a little bit. I thought Steve Neumann and Tyler Rudy had a great first half. We had to change things up. We thought Daigo (Kobayashi) wasn’t active enough in the first half. He was active but he wasn’t on the ball enough so we dropped him and pushed Neumann higher. And I thought it was good for Daigo but it hurt Neumann because Neumann was really good in the first 30 or 40 minutes. I thought Neumann overall had the good consistent night.”
New England Revolution midfielder Steve Neumann
On the game:
“I think we had stretches where we were good, we had stretches where we were dangerous but we didn’t really put it together for 90 minutes. It’s a good Charlotte team and they have a bunch of players that I grew up playing against and with, and they have a bunch of quality on their team. Like I said, I don’t think we put a full 90 together, I guess we concentrate on the league now.”
On Charlotte’s game plan that made the game difficult:
“They defended well when they got back in their blocks of four, they defended really well. I thought they did a good job at the end of the game, closing the game out with their hold up play up top and they have a bunch of nifty players that can hold the ball up so credit to them for getting the win. It’s definitely a disappointing loss for us, but we’ll keep working.”
On being involved in the game:
“It was good. The crowd was unbelievable, we heard them the whole time. Being at a facility like this where everyone’s right on top of you – it was definitely a unique and special experience for me and I’m sure for the other guys too.”
On playing with college teammate Tyler Rudy:
“It was great. I’m proud of him, I think he had a good solid game in there. From what I’ve heard he’s been playing well in Rochester as well so a good first year as a pro for him so I’m proud of him.”
On if his free kick that hit the crossbar was meant as a shot:
“I think it took a deflection. I’m not sure if it hit the bar or if the ‘keeper saved it. Like I said, credit to their defense and their goalie for keeping us off the board.”
On the difficulty of playing against lower division teams:
“They were definitely up for the game, but I think we were too. I just think we didn’t have that last bit of quality in the final third – that killer instinct – that we needed. Like I said, credit to them, they played a great game, they have a great squad, a great coach and they executed their game plan.”
On if he thinks his performance will help him get more minutes in MLS play:
“Definitely. Practice is what it is but when you get out in a game situation, there’s nothing that can replicate that so it was great to get a 90 under my belt, obviously I wish it could have been under winning circumstances but definitely good to get out there and play.”
On the period of play in the second half when New England put the pressure on:
“It was just a foot off in this direction or that direction where either they were getting blocks or intercepting crosses or whatever, but that sense of urgency that we had in those 15 minutes or so is what we needed to bring the whole game. Unfortunately we couldn’t get a goal when we had that pressure but credit to them for standing tall on defense.”
Charlotte Independence head coach Mike Jeffries
On the significance of win over Revs as a first year franchise:
“It’s very special. Really for the players, we have a good group of guys. A lot of them have been sort of on the cusp of MLS, and in and out. I think for those guys especially those are meaningful games. To say ‘hey I know I belong and I’m good’. For us as a franchise obviously it’s a great win, and it’s a nice toehold for being the first year. And to be able to do that and to beat a very good New England team up here is a real plus for us and a real big confidence boost.”
On Jorge Herrera’s goal:
“It was a hell of a goal. Jorge is capable. He’s such a talented player and a really good leader with our group and it’s nice to have a guy with his experience, and his class, on the team. And I think he’s been a good example for the guys but he’s also been a guy that contributes game in and game out. And he’s capable of pulling off those plays, we see it day in and day out. So it was nice to see it in a big game.”
On the game plan and how it panned out:
“It did play along as we hoped. We knew we’d be under some pressure, they’re very talented and a very good technical team. So we knew that there were going to be stretches that they had the ball and we had to maintain our shape and be good defensively. I thought the first half, although there wasn’t many chances really on either side, was okay for us. It shortened the game a little bit for us and the tempo was at a good pace for us. And in the second half I thought we came out and we really wanted to step up and kind of change the tempo and press them. And I think that maybe unsettled them just a little bit and led to us getting some chances and really I thought the second half up to when we scored we were very good. And that we had really pushed the game and had the ball in their end and were creating a little bit. For my heart we probably scored about 27 minutes too early, but we managed to hang on. That’s what you have to do.”
On goalkeeper Hunter Gilstrap possibly being a late change and his performance:
“No we had an unfortunate injury with our goalkeeper that’s been our first team keeper throughout the year, John Berner, was hurt in our last open cup game in Carolina and he’s out for six weeks or so. And the Reader’s Digest version is that we transferred our guy that was the number two like two days before Berner got hurt. So we’ve been forced to kind of bring in a call-up and deal with it that way. Hunter’s been with us, you know he was in with us in training. It was always the plan, from a while ago, to have him in for this. It wasn’t a late scratch, we knew it. He came up big on the play that we needed him. We were under pressure obviously at the end of the game, but he made the one great save and we managed to get in front of a lot of balls and block balls and so forth, and limit it to a lot of crosses, which we were able to handle for the most part.”
Charlotte Independence midfielder Jorge Herrera
On the team’s reaction after big win:
“It’s nice and you feel good because MLS is the top division in this country. You always want to play with the best teams that you possibly can. And if you get the chance to beat them it’s always good. I think that the guys put together a really nice 90 minutes. We scored, we were able to hold the win. At the end we get what we were trying tonight.”
On his winning goal:
“It was a good goal. I got a ball from Alex Martinez, I chest it, I let it bounce and take a volley and it was a nice goal. It feels good to get to score and it’s even better if that helped to get a win for the team.
On pressure in closing minutes:
“I think that will happen. You were beating, you were the visitor. The home team has to go to take their chances. They had a couple but I think our work in our back was pretty good. They had a couple chances because they got to serve a lot of balls. But I think we handled it good and we took the win tonight.”
On whether this season has been difficult and how a win changes that:
“It’s always a nice to get a good run in the Open Cup. And also it builds the confidence in the guys because beating a higher level team is always good for you. And it’s true, we struggled at the beginning. We were an entirely new team coming up, so going through with the games we have been able to build a good chemistry, to get to know each other better. And now we are playing better and we are getting the results.”
