HEAD COACH MATIAS ALMEYDA
On what went wrong tonight:
“The reality is that we had to play against an important team, from their game and each one of their players. Against these opponents, there is something very important, which is maintain 95% concentration and attention with what we have studied about the opponent, posted up with the game plan both individually and collectively. But I am aware that whenever you make a mistake with this team, they hurt you. Our team after Orlando had a very big change at the football level for the worse. So, training session days are shorter, the uncertainty that one day you train and the other day you can’t because of the smoke, whether you play the other day, or you can’t, are all things that don’t add. They subtract. It’s not a pretext, it’s a reality.”
On plans for new player transfers:
“We’re looking at some possibilities on strengthening our team, but first I need to really analyze what I currently have. I have worked and played football in various parts of the world, and the easiest result a coach can say is, “change my eleven players and bring me eleven new ones.” I like to win. In the teams that I have coached, I had the possibility to be crowned champion in each one of them. So, I came here because I believe in this project and I have the dream of being champion. I didn’t come here on vacation. I came to work, and I like to win.”
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES MIDFIELDER SHEA SALINAS
On why the team has struggled against LAFC:
“Yeah, LAFC tends to have our number. Their movement off the ball offensively is extremely dangerous. They have really good control in tight spaces, and they pass and move really well. I think it’s what every team tries to do, and they do it the best.”
On how to turn the page from the match:
“I can almost guarantee we’ll watch video on the things we should learn, things that we should take away from this game. At the same time, it won’t be very long. We won’t dwell on this for long. We have a game in two days at home against Colorado, who’s a good team. We’re excited to be playing in our own stadium. I think what we need to learn the most is how to bounce back from a game like this. We’ve done it before. Last season, we lost to LAFC 5-0 and the next game we won 3-0 against Portland at home. So, let’s go do that again.”
On what the team needs to address before Saturday:
“Yeah, that’s a tough question. I think the main thing is our mentality. We’ve just got to forget about this game and come out on Saturday with a lot of energy and a lot of purpose. We’ve got to fight for the ball defensively and control it offensively. That was our strength in Orlando: our tenacity on offensive and our control on defense. Those are the two things we need to focus on for Saturday.”
