Orlando City SC Head Coach Oscar Pareja
Opening Statement
“We’re very happy to get this result at home, especially winning at home after a few games where we couldn’t achieve the results, despite playing well. As we've spoken about here, we’ve been winning games at the 80-minute mark, and finally today, I thought we had a different outcome. We ended with a lot of energy, and the second half was much better than what we’ve done before. The intensity of the players tonight was a different class. Congratulations to the players, in a very hot and humid climate, their hearts were in it all the time. Again, it’s a very competitive team, so we’re happy. We’ll recover the boys and see how the next [match] goes.”
On his substitutions and their performance
“Well, I think you’re right, their performance was great. But I think the help that Dagur [Dan Thórhallsson] and Nico [Rodríguez] gave us by absorbing the pressure during the first half and part of the second gave us the opportunity to have [Alex] Freeman and Marco [Pašalić] fresher. So, I think that combination worked well tonight. Again, the level that Freeman and Marco reached in the second half was also a consequence of the good job Dagur and Nico did in the first half. It was good.”
On the importance of a win at home and scoring multiple goals
“Right, the first task was winning the game. We knew in the second half that there had been some experiences in the last three home games, we spoke about it here as well, that we could have closed the game by scoring one more goal or just being stronger. One of the things I saw tonight is that our second half was much more complete. We were winning, and the boys had probably four or five clear chances to score. They really wanted that third goal and more. Those things were very positive, not just because of the need to score today due to the tournament format, but also because they felt that energy is what we need to bring, based on the experiences from the last three games. We were winning at the 80-minute mark against Montréal and in our other two games. I don’t want to keep [emphasizing that], but really, tonight we overcame that moment. It was very positive.”
Orlando City SC Defender Alex Freeman
*On his assist on Martín Ojeda’s goal
“For me, it was just about making a big impact. I was returning to find Marco [Pašalić]. I feel like Marco and I’s partnership has been very good this year. It's just about him being able to find me in space and where I want it. Then I started cutting back to Tincho [Martín Ojeda] because they were tracking around me. So, I just cut it out to Tincho, and he was able to take a touch and score. I feel very good about the shot, especially on his left foot. I feel like it all came together.”
On coming on as a substitute
“I feel like it helped a lot. Obviously, I have to play all the time, but I feel like it was a much-needed rest. I've been busy the past four to five months, so it was just about being able to get that rest and then become a big impact and help the team as much as I can. Oscar [Pareja] told me, ‘It’s time for you to rest,’ and I was like, ‘I'm okay with that, but I'm ready when you need me.’”
On his partnership with Marco Pašalić
*“He's a fantastic player with a lot of quality, and it’s just our partnership with passing and practice. We talk off the field a lot, and I spent time with him at the MLS All-Star Game. So, we've been building that connection off the field as well as on the field. I feel like it's helped us a lot, just getting to understand each other better. I feel the past couple of months have gone very well for us. Our partnership has been good. We're just going to keep building on that, keep practicing until it's perfected, and we'll be able to be very lethal.”
Orlando City SC Forward Iván Angulo
On scoring his goal
“Yeah, I’m happy. Just happy and thankful to score again and happy and thankful to help my team in that way.”
On tonight's result
“Yeah, good. I said in the press conference yesterday with you all that the team was fighting and preparing for the competition. We felt that we were prepared, and obviously we were disappointed to not get the results in the last game, but this game just shows that we're ready.”
