Defender and Captain Keegan Rosenberry
On the impact the maturity of the team has on recent improved results
I don't know if it's related to maturity, I just think after the little slide we had before the break you know a way to Vancouver conceding some of the goals we did and you know, we took a hard look at ourselves and then tried to look at some defending video and how we can tighten things up, how we can be better front to back, and when we have performances like this where we're conceding fewer chances, clean sheets, a lot of people want to give the credit to backline and the goalkeepers but the work that the guys do up front, it's such a team effort and such a pat on the back for everybody. Not just the Starting 11 but the guys that come on, they do the work defensively and it makes our job in the back so much easier. And I think it starts with that we're scoring goals right now which obviously helps but if we keep things tight in the back, I feel like we're always gonna score and that's been the case recently.
On Djordje Mihailovic's abilities in the midfield to spur attacks and earn goal contributions
Yeah, I don't know that [Djordje] would say it but I know I do and Chris would say the same--[Djordje's] commitment to looking at Rafa and getting really tight from the front of the back and those those two's ability to deny entries into the six and [disrupt] the way teams build, and then work in tandem to get center back pressure on the ball--all these things I'm sure Chris has said a million times, that's where it starts for us. And obviously the more that we can encourage them from the back and that they're hearing that, then it just comes down to us trying to find him as many times as we can. Even with overloads on certain sides of the field when it looks like we need to get off the side, forcing the ball back into him, looking for him and going out of our way to find on the ball. You can see why that needs to be a focal point, he makes things happen and just really happy for him on that side of it. As an attacker, I think you can say all you want if the goals and assists aren't coming, you know you still feel good, you're still feeling like you're informed, but those tallies mean a lot to those guys and I think validate them quite a bit and give them the confidence going forward.
On players earning more minutes with various teammates' absences
It is nice to have guys step into roles that are familiar with it and guys that we're familiar with around them. But I think it's just a tribute to them, it's such a difficult role to not play minutes for a stretch of games and then train like you're going to play the next game and stay engaged and stay fit. These guys have done it, Lalas [Abubakar] plays three games in a week, comes in and looks like he doesn't miss a beat. So I think it's really impressive from those guys and a tribute to the professionalism and the way that they handle training every day, just trying to relish that next opportunity and assume that it's going to come, not be surprised when it does.
On the test with LAFC
We're excited at the opportunity to play them right now. Coming off a good week for us, we got a week to recharge, they're now at the top of the West after Salt Lake's results. So I think it's just a feeling of excitement for us. I think we'd look at it the same, but it'd be much more of a challenge if we come off of some disappointing results like we did before the break. It's gonna be fun. We haven't had success as a team there. I don't know if we've won there before so I'm looking forward to it. I think we've got a little bit different way about us this year, especially away from home. I think we go for games, we're not really afraid of it. Excited to dive more into the prep this week, look at them a little closer and look at some tendencies and get into it, it'll be fun.
Head Coach Chris Armas
On the reports of European teams' interest in Moïse Bombito
I'll leave that to the bosses to figure out. We knew that Moïse getting on the world stage with Copa America, with the World Cup coming, with the system that Jesse Marsch plays over there, that he'd get magnified on the global stage. So I haven't heard anything more than just interest. [He's] one of the best young center backs around right now in Concacaf. So leave it up to them to figure out what's the magic number and how much real interest is there.
On the Rapids taking on a familiar face in Kei Kamara
Speaking, as a former player, when you play against your old friends and teammates, it feels comfortable in some ways but doesn't really help you win the duel on the day, it just makes it a little more fun, a little bit more on the line competing with with guys. But I think when you really understand LAFC, it's much, much more than just that. Kei's tremendous. I've always had a lot of respect for him, the way he's not just an athletic guy up top, he's really smart, stays connected, always dangerous, even to help their attacks in transition. So we'll have our hands full trying to deal with their attacking core. And it'd be great to see him and we'll be up for the competition.
On the injury recoveries of Kimani Stewart-Baynes and Daniel Chacón
We've gotta see how they respond. We have to see how Kimani responds, he looked like I thought he would look [back at training], like a kid in a candy shop today. He was a neutral player today but he looks sharp in attack, looks really happy being out there again and kind of where we left off with him where he's dangerous in moments of attack. And then Chacón, it's good to see him getting more involved in some of the functional work and even enjoy some of that stuff. It's tedious at times for some players. He's just happy to get those reps. So he looks good, he's intelligent. Giving this feeling to the players, it's not so easy all the time. He's got to get to experience it out on the pitch and he's back out there. For timelines, not sure, we're gonna see how they respond now to the increased levels of work.
On the decision to start Calvin Harris against Montréal
I think the question remains, but maybe it makes the discussion a little more interesting. We have a lot of confidence in Omir, but we went with Calvin. It was three games in a week, we thought Omir has been playing well and part of the victories. This was not an easy decision. It's one I don't take lightly, I labor over it honestly, but I chose with the staff Calvin, for a few reasons. That was the gut [feeling] to think, can we get some speed that can hurt their backline and knowing they defend a little bit deeper, there would still be moments that he could get through, which he did, especially on the one goal. So I hope it always works that way where you pick something that goes your way. But I think for the right reasons, we stick with that process and then we can live with it. So but in the end, I'm really happy for Calvin because he's not been getting all the minutes and now we show the confidence in him and he grabs it. That doesn't hurt his chances of getting more minutes, getting a potential start. I hope as the year goes on, my decisions get tougher and tougher because that means the internal competition keeps rising and our team will just keep getting better internally.
On the test against LAFC ahead
We can look at the way they're playing, I don't think we have to look so far past even the game we played [against them]. They're dangerous on the counter. They force mistakes, they play with high energy, they defend high up the pitch at times and and can play in big spaces and can hurt you for sure. So we saw in our game, we'll take some lessons and try to apply it and be better. But you can see how explosive that offense is, to have many guys that can hurt you. We'll have to be at our best, which goes for every game. In their building I know they're undefeated, which I know if you ask Cole Bassett about that he'd say, 'Great, maybe we can be the first team to win.' We'll go there with a mentality to go after the game with all the respect in the world for a really good team, especially in their building.
