Cincinnati 2, Toronto FC 0
Q. Unfortunately we seem to be having the same conversation, another early goal, dug yourself a hole and couldn't get out. What was your take on tonight?
CHRIS ARMAS: Yeah, look, we were comfortable with a plan coming in. We changed the system tonight, loaded the back line. I think we covered ourselves with throw center backs to help with set pieces. We think we get an extra guy on the back line to help in transition. We have a plan to play out of the back with direct play, and yeah, it's disappointing to give up an early goal. Like it's exactly what we didn't need. For a team that's been through a lot, and teams are fragile in these moments, right. So it's exactly what we didn't need.
And then when you now have to push the game, which we did, there's a few chances out there, they load their back line and they change to five in the back at some point and when you are missing certain guys, then it becomes even harder to break down a block. On top of that, how do most teams in the world create chances in transition, right; overwhelming number of goals in transition moments and almost every time we create transition moments, they foul us. Good luck.
We hurt ourselves and then we are subject to that type of game: Low block, we know what that's like and any time we have an advantage, they put out the fire with a foul. That's the story of the night.
Q. You praised your players over and over for despite the team's travails and stuff like that for showing up and working hard, but with this latest loss, tough loss, are you starting to worry about the team's morale at all?
CHRIS ARMAS: Of course. You've been around sport for a long time, it's the winning and the losing, you get momentum and it's contagious. Of course. In normal times, it would be hard to deal with, right. So in the times that we are in right now as a country, a soccer team, in a league competing and results, it's stressful for sure on guys, I'm sure.
So yes. But it's only going to -- there's no one on the inside of these walls that accepts losing. It starts with me. I'm uncomfortable in this situation. I've not been here before where unprecedented times and just in a situation where, yeah, you're looking hard to find the solutions right now. But I'm confident I'll find the solution.
Q. The goals scored this year, they have been in the first 15 minutes. How is that correctible, eliminating these early goals?
CHRIS ARMAS: You know, it's strange only in moments, like with some of these situations, it seems like, okay, here we go, we're playing with some tempo, in the few minutes, right, and then almost nothing that we've given away the goals.
I'm always going to ask myself, "Chris, come on, you thought you made it clear? You didn't." Or maybe I have to look at who I'm putting out there or how much more training you have to do to say, let's play in their end where we can't get hurt early on. This is talked about, but it's not being executed, then yeah, it comes back to me.
I think it's clear it's literally almost out of nothing. Give it away. Like we just came out of that game. We just did that. Early goals, you look at the statistics around the world, when you give up the first goal or score the first goal, which way the game tilts. It's hard to chase it right now.
Q. What do you say to the team at a time like this? What's your message at halftime when there's a chance that there's still something out there for you, and then after the game, what's being talked about?
CHRIS ARMAS: The message at halftime is about the game and about solutions and about -- it's about playing quicker with more tempo and we have three in the back, driving with the ball and playing faster and you know, some of the more moments of pressing that went well, and we showed some video of that to reinforce some is of the good, because there's nothing, nothing structurally that they are hurting us, right. It's in these pressing moments, can you go faster. That's a halftime talk where you just try to influence the second half, which we came out in a really good way. We did.
At the end of the game, it's much different, right, because we have, as we started this press conference, seems like we've been here. So there's no words of wisdom. It's more, I say a few words for the team that we keep in-house, but it's more about moving forward in the right way, and not accepting this. It's really about, there's a lot of winners in that room, and winners don't accept this. We don't. We don't do it. I mean, imagine our supporters, it's a disaster. I'm embarrassed. I'm tasked to do a job here.
Yeah, we all know it's been hard. You play without your dps, we can go down the list. It's not time to do that. Got to figure a solution. Can't accept this. Chris Armas doesn't accept this. Supporters, sickening.
Q. You mentioned the dps and I know you don't necessarily like to talk about it, but how old is it getting for you not being able to play not just all three, but rarely even two, and tonight, none, in games?
CHRIS ARMAS: Well, you know, when you have your guys, right, in every sport, every sport, and especially when things are difficult because those guys typically, you know, can lead the team on the field a certain way and relieve pressure or make certain plays. So yeah, I haven't experienced that yet as a coach.
Alejandro, he's doing all he can do, and he's pushing, and you feel for the team, you feel for him and same with Yeferson, he's just got here. Last year I think he plays in almost every game. The year before, almost every game. I don't know what that's like yet, but yeah, we have to find other ways. But certainly it makes it harder for us in tough times, let alone just football games. Get them back, and got to get one win at a time here, one win at a time.
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