Q. Thanks for talking to us. Appreciate it. Overall what did you see from the start of this game? And then seemed like there was the reaction in the second half, but maybe you guys couldn't finish chances. Just your thoughts on it.
GREG VANNEY: As I was saying, their greatest danger is in the transition. They have some very athletic players, some quality in the attack, yeah, obviously guys that can finish.
So for me, the first half starts where I feel like we were just incredibly impatient with the ball, trying to force tackles through the middle of the field.
It's very hard to control transitions when you lose the ball in the middle of the field because they can go left, they can go right.
Yeah, I felt like that was -- that set the tone for the game, is we were trying get guys into good attacking positions, but sometimes our impatience to allow the play to develop, to play the game not through the middle of the field, but more on the flanks at times, forced the guys on their team who kind of cheat a little bit and wait for transition moments, forced them to have to defend and/or take advantage of the places they leave when they don't defend.
I felt like we were incredibly impatient. It set a tempo in the first half where our tackles were fast. Not that they were rushed fast, and then we were trying get to good positions and then guys who were trying to get to good positions are now racing back to have to defend, and there was just -- really lacked balance, and never set up anything that looked like a collective attack and really didn't force their guys who, like I said, are very good in the transition to commit to the defensive side of the game.
I thought what changed in the second half is I felt like we found a little bit more patience. We weren't trying to play straight through the middle as much. We were working to get from side to side better, getting more guys involved in the attack, got ourselves into it, back into the game.
Obviously the goal right at the end of the half was really good for us just to come into the locker room feeling a little bit closer.
Yeah, felt like we were there and had the momentum to get ourselves back in the game, but every time we felt like the momentum was there, we would concede a goal. We didn't deal with some transitions well. We didn't box defend well at times.
You know, some of their guys that are athletic and fast, we have got to be more confident in how we can defend them. Got to organize our marking a little bit clearer and earlier. Yeah, and we conceded four goals, which is far too many and impossible to win when you give up four goals.
We gave up goals mainly in transitions and then crossing situations where we were not taking account for guys that are in the box.
Q. When look at the four goals, obviously that sticks out. Is that a focus for you on the defensive side? Is it the mid-field not coming back to help? Four goals is a lot for this team to give up.
GREG VANNEY: I think it just depends on the scenario. I think if we lose balls in bad places then, you know, then I think sometimes if they have one guy in the box or two guys in the box, then I think our back line needs to be able to deal with those situations.
If they are getting three, four guys in the box, for sure our mid-fielders need to help those situations. I think it just depends on the numbers and who and how the situation develops as to whether -- you know, where I felt like we were having some mid-field challenges was more later in the game when Marco came in because he was really committed to high positions, and Riqui was more getting into higher positions or picking up the ball and moving into high positions, and Gaston became a little on an island in some of these defensive moments.
That's where I really felt like we started chasing that equalizing goal. I felt like we started to really concede some of the middle of the field. There were other moments here or there, but I didn't necessarily feel like that was a consistent issue. I may change my mind when I come back and watch it, but I felt like that became an issue as the game progressed and we started to extend ourselves a little bit more.
The one caveat to that is the transition moment when I believe it's Evander's goal where we do force the ball wide. We are one-on-one, and Gaston leaves the middle to go help and the guy he leaves to go help our guy is the guy actually finishes. Probably in a better scenario or better situation he stays and we have to defend one-on-one and we cover John a little bit differently.
But that's probably one scenario where we left the middle and we probably needed to be in the middle. There might be others. That's one I can think of off the top of my head.
Q. Wanted to ask, obviously a couple days ago an emotional victory; today the loss. What's the sense within the locker room? Does this game feel like a reality check for you guys? Might be premature.
GREG VANNEY: I don't know if it's a reality check. I think everybody understands the challenges of this league and competing on the road and us -- you know, we created our own -- they're a good team. We create our problems with how we lose the ball, in rushing and forcing attacks and things that need to be allowed. We need to allow ourselves to develop.
We did such a good job of that the other night specifically in the second half. We were able to take what was arguably one of the best transition teams in the league and really eliminate the transition. It's because we took care of the ball and because we gave our guys behind the ball chances to get tight to the players they need to mark.
We did those things. Tonight for sure through the first half of the game and some stretches in the second half when we were chasing the game, the impatience is really sometimes our biggest enemy. That's ourselves undoing ourselves.
And then sometimes we look back and we wonder where the guys are and why they're not closer and more aggressive. The reality is they're shell shocked a little bit and now they're conceding a little bit of territory.
Again, we have to make sure we're mindful of these situations or else we start to lose trust in our positioning, get a little cautious in our press defending and start to concede territory. Now good transition teams are really running at you.
I don't know that it's -- I don't ever feel like our group -- look, at the end of the game the other day, 4-2 or whatever and he were with playing around, I feel like there was some arrogance in that moment. I don't feel like we came into the night with arrogance. I don't feel think that was it at all.
I think we got exposed for the mistakes with made in the course of the game and we didn't clean them up. We have to recognize this again as we come to the end of the season and go to the playoffs, because it's these things that hurt ourselves with more than -- opposition obviously takes advantage, but we expose ourselves and the opposition hurts us is what I should say probably.
Q. Is tonight the perfect example of just how important having home field advantage is?
GREG VANNEY: Absolutely. I mean, I said it the other night at the end of the game to the group. That game was -- you always want to play that game at home. In this league, you want to play at home. The conditions here, you come here, play on turf. It's a little slower, a little different.
Around our league there are so many different types of conditions you deal with. Could be altitude, turf, others in the western conference. It is so important for us to be mindful of the last four games to put ourselves in a position to be playing at home.
There is nothing else that we're playing for right now down the stretch is to make sure we play as many of these games at home in the playoffs as we can. Tonight is a great example of why and the other night was a great example of why the other way.
So, yeah, it's absolutely the point.
Q. Just wondering if you have an injury update on Julian and Martin? And then first place for a while now in the west. Obviously everybody shoots to (indiscernible). Is the group feeling any pressure right now as we come to the end of the season? Thank you.
GREG VANNEY: Yeah, thank you. I'm not sure if the group feels pressure. At least I don't see that and sense the pressure, because part of that is I think we have to -- what appears to be, and I think it could be a false sense of separation from ourselves in the group; the reality is because of games in hand we don't have a great separation because you can't take anything for granted.
The gap just closed a bit. I don't know all the results out there. I am sure it closed a bit on us. Now it's a lot tighter. I don't sense arrogance our nervousness. You know, I sense that a few guys didn't have great games for various reasons.
Like I said, collectively I feel like we rushed the game in the wrong moments and put ourselves in tough situations. Sometimes I think we rushed the game when we feel like we have to go win the game early or right away or we start it really push the game.
Yeah, at times we just have to be more mindful because we expose ourselves. This thing is tight. Last four games are going to be big. We play two at home and two away. You know, we're playing for the west and home field advantage. Got to get guys healthy, turned around.
I think you asked about players, Julian, assuming that he continues through the course of the week doing the things, he'll be in training tomorrow with the guys who are training. He trained the other day. He should be available to be a part of the game this weekend. He won't be ready to start or anything like that. Should be available to possibly get some minutes. He's got some training sessions under his belt which is a positive thing and feels a lot better.
Martin will be out.
As far as everyone else, we'll take inventory how the guys are doing coming off the turf and everything and then start to look towards the weekend.
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