On Sunday afternoon, the Washington Spirit hosted Arsenal W.F.C. in the inaugural match of the Spirit International Friendlies. After the match, Head Coach Jonátan González,Andi Sullivan, and Paige Metayer spoke with the media.
On the message to the team after the first 30 minutes and creating chances:
Giráldez: Good afternoon, thank you for being here. I think we were working on them. In 90 minutes, we create more chances, but it was not enough to beat them. In the first minutes, especially, they had two players in base very, very close to center-back, so for help and defending that 2-v-1 was, I think, difficult for her. She tried, but we didn’t recover the ball in the place that we wanted. You just modify. Ouleye (Sarr) and Leicy Santos position is to make sure that we are helping to protect the critical space inside, and I think that we were a little better. With the ball, trying to be patient because I think the three-two in the beginning build-up, we had good feelings with the ball, we created chances, playing short and then being compact, getting the box, but we were not lacking the last meters. We tried to compete, to maintain the level during the 90 minutes. I think the players were good. Right now, we have to rest and prepare for the next game.
On the effectiveness of Leicy Santos and Rosemonde Kouassi:
Giráldez: They have experience. Leicy Santos was playing in the Olympic Games, important games. They are capable. The only thing is that we have to manage is the load. In terms of they couldn’t play 90 minutes, so I think it was a good test for them, especially for it being the first day. I always like to analyze what happened, but in the end, you have to play. After playing, you can see, ‘Okay, right now you have to modify and identify that.’ I think they are doing a good job during the week in terms of adaptation. I am happy with the performance today because it is not easy playing such a good team as Arsenal, especially with the ball they struggle a lot their opponents. In the case of Leicy and Rose (Rosemonde Kouassi), I think it was a good beginning. We played at home with so many people here watching the game. The should break the ice, so they did.
On Spirit Olympians returning to play after time away:
Sullivan: I would just say that I trust our Olympians whole-heartedly. They are going to manage it all in their own ways. They are all really good professionals, and we are excited to have them back. When their tide rises, so does our boat. I am so excited to have them back on the field and with everything they bring off the field. I hope they capitalize on those opportunities as individuals and that we do so as a team. Today was a great showing of that. I am confident that we are going to build that as a team going forward in this environment, especially.
On the Spirit’s Olympian players and Team USA:
Giráldez: I think they were the best team in the Olympic Games. They deserved victory, especially they defended really well. It was really difficult to score a goal. I am happy for our players because I know how they are working here and all the opportunities being there at the Olympic Games it’s for seasons. It’s very difficult to participate, and then you can’t imagine after winning that feeling is crazy. We have to say congrats not only to our players and, at the same time, all the national team. What we want is to keep competing, ready to make a big welcome here and try to help us in the most important part of the season which is coming.
On what the team has learned about Rosemonde Kouassi:
Metayer: I would say the first few days she was in training with us, she definitely has a style of play. She would cut all of us all the time. We really had to learn how to defend her, honestly. It took like a whole week of us going 1-v-1 or just learning how she plays. I think that made us a lot better because she does have such a specific skill set, and what she is good at, she is one of the best in the world at. Being able to play against a player like that, that brings a different skill set that we haven’t seen yet at the Spirit. It’s making all of us better.
On how Rosemonde Kouassi fits in with the team:
Giráldez: I think we are finding which is the best position or role for her. She is able to play on the left and the right. The other day, we did a friendly game, and she played as a striker for a while. Right now, the most important thing is patience and analyzing exactly what she can give us, but in the end the characteristics she has — in a 1-v-1 situation, she is very good all the time faking passes. She is very difficult to defend. They know it. At the same time, I think she is ready to run. Today, I think she had a good performance in terms of threat, running because when she speeds, when she’s making high running action, she provokes something. We have to put people around her to connect to each other and understand which is the best role she has and make sure that the role with the ball and without the ball, especially without the ball, it’s very important to try to prove what it takes to help the team to have a better out of possession phase.
On playing with Leicy Santos today:
Metayer: I mean, obviously, just like Rose is another form of talent that has a different skillset that were used to. I think she is doing a great job. It is really easy to find her in the pocket space. I think she does a great job on the ball, as we saw. Like Rose, she does give us trouble in 1-v-1 during training and what not. It’s great to see her out on the field, and I think she did a great job.
Sullivan: She is so fun to play with. Obviously, she’s only been here for a short time, but even the first day that she was here, I felt excited to have the opportunity to play with her closely in the midfield. She is very fluid; I think that will bode very well for us.
On the approach to the “second preseason” before the break:
Metayer: Whenever you’re missing a lot of players to international duty, we went through the same process last year, it does have a different vibe. Trainings just feel different, whether that’s personalities on the ball, off the field, there is always a different aspect to it. I think it’s an opportunity to really grow as a team. There is a smaller group of people, and I think we have seen that. We have created an environment and continued to work hard in a way that the people returning will be able to jump up to speed really quick. I think that the environment has been really great and has been, as you see, a lot of different players out on the field. It’s a great opportunity for people to grow as players and collectively as a team bringing that all together when players return.
Sullivan: I would say that the reason we have been in a good spot this season, is because every week we have been very focused only on that day ahead of us. I said this previously in a team meeting, I have been a part of the seasons where at the midpoint or at the break, you’re bottom half of the table and by the end your top half, and vice versa, been top and gone to bottom. We have to remind ourselves, every day is important, focusing on the details and like Paige said, focus on the tight knit group and being a strong team. I think that hasn’t wavered over this summer. Obviously, we have brought up players coming back and being in different places physically, mentally and emotionally, and we’ll have to manage that. I think we are excited to do that in the regular season going forward to get back into that habitual ‘guns blazing’ every single day.
On the importance playing higher level games before entering second half of the season:
Sullivan: It was such a cool opportunity. It’s hard for me to talk about right now because I am still bummed about the result. The reflection point of thinking about my first year here, how to play them in this stadium with a lot of people. I think I knew it was possible, but I didn’t know if I would see it in my playing career and to see it turn out so well — I didn’t know there were so many Arsenal fans in DC. How cool is that? Hopefully, they came and enjoyed what they saw, and they will come back to see us. That’s what we want. That’s why the game is fun. To be able to connect over that, is a very special opportunity. Like Paige said, different players taking the field, new players coming in, and a top team, as Jona I think said in Spanish. Just a really cool opportunity to see different players. In the League, you start to know everyone very well, even if they change teams, you start to know everybody. So, it was fun for me to play against players that we have maybe seen on different stages, but don’t know as well. A very special opportunity.
Metayer: I would agree. I think even the Chivas (Femenil) game we played in the Summer Cup, even that for me I was like this is so exciting to be able to play a team from outside of our league because, last year, with the Challenge Cup, we did play teams in our league multiple times. I think it was so exciting to see a new opponent and taking this field against such a known team was a feeling that we haven’t felt. I’m sure, Andi has been here for much longer, just my second year being able to do that was incredible. It was an opportunity that I will remember.
On the Spirit’s defensive performance:
Giráldez: I think we didn’t recover so many goals that we expected, especially in the buildup, because they had too many players inside with two players in base, and we were struggling a little bit, especially the first 20-25 minutes. Then, I think we were a little better. We recovered balls and we had clear opportunities to score after recovering the ball. The second half we modified what it takes to adapt a little better when they play with three. I think the kind of game we had today is not going to happen the same thing next week because the counter reach of the opponent are not the same, but for me it’s a big, big opportunity to work and analyze. When we want to press high against a really good team, one of the best teams in the world and they are from Europe, how do they have to connect between Arsenal? For me, being the first day with Rose, Leicy and Heather (Strainbrook) playing at the top of the diamond today, you need more time to adjust. After the game, watch the game and analyze what you can improve and keep growing. Even analyzing the game after 90 minutes, I think we created so many chances, sometimes recovering balls in the opposite half of the pitch. We were not clean enough today, and let’s see the next week.
On pressing and the feelings of the beginning of the match:
Sullivan: I would say in the beginning of the game, the spaces felt too big for me, personally, to cover. That happens if you’re not super organized; it’s not predictable. The players have more options on that team. We struggled a little bit, but it’s going to happen, that’s what we said: We are going to struggle at times, and how are we going to figure that out. I think we did improve, but how can we make sure that we are sharp in all those moments and are making those adjustments ourselves on the fly as we see things develop, rather than waiting until a hydration break or halftime to get more information? I think that’s the direction we are going based on the way we are being coached.
On the assist on the goal of Ouleye Sarr:
Sullivan: How good has Ouleye’s English gotten by the way? For me, really proud of Ouleye. She had the first chance; she almost got it. She had the second chance; she almost got it. I think sometimes in those moments, you can feel frustrated, but I think that I felt something in my bones. That’s something that Jona mentioned as well: we need to do that a little bit more and a little more often and better. I had a feeling in my bones that we were about to score. I think her movement today was really good, especially threatening in behind. I felt like I had a couple opportunities to play her today. We make eye contact well. When that ball came back to me, I knew where I was looking to put it.
On playing left back today then switching to the right:
Metayer: I’ve had a few conversations about being adaptable to different positions and being versatile. Honestly, I think sometimes there’s skillsets you have in the 6 or in the midfield that you can apply to the three in the back building up. I think it was a good opportunity to be able to show those skillsets. Honestly, it’s not as difficult when you think of it as spaces. We talk about that a lot. Just thinking about, ‘You’re in a space on the field’ versus, ‘This is your position.’ It was a good opportunity, and I enjoyed it.
Orlando Pride
