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The Washington Spirit beat Chicago Stars FC, 3-2, Saturday afternoon, improving to a perfect 4-0-0 on the road this regular season. After the match, Assistant Coach Adrián González spoke to the media about the important three points, Rosemonde Kouassi’s first NWSL goal and the team’s performance overall. Defenders Gabby Carle and Tara McKeown also sat down to provide their thoughts on the team’s win heading into another home match next weekend.
Adrián González, Assistant Coach
On the team’s overall performance in the windy conditions to pull out the 3-2 win:
Our first aim today was to be better than last week and the last two weeks for sure and I think we’ve achieved that. Better start today, the first minutes I think we were controlling the game and we were having the performance that we wanted and we [were able to] score the first one. From there, I think we need to keep learning because sometimes it seems like we are [conceding] easy goals but again, I think the team reacted very [well] and we [won] today. We still have a lot of things to improve, but we need to be happy because we’ve achieved what we wanted today.
On the Spirit’s recent changes in formation:
We wanted to have two players in pocket with Meg Boade and Narumi and trying to have Rebe as a six. Rumi, sometimes she was dropping and sometimes Meg, but we wanted to have those spaces occupied between lines and [leave] Rebe inside with [the center backs]. [We wanted to] try to identify where the spaces were wide, inside, or high and try to build that with her attacking the striker’s back. We knew that we couldn’t find her behind the strikers and from there, we could find pockets. I think we’ve done a good job, especially the first half, identifying where the spaces were and how they were pressing. We also had chances to progress through the width. Once we could find Meg or Rumi inside in those pockets, then we had the advantage to attack the back line. That was the main reason [for the formation], we wanted to be more compact and try to have 2v1 situations with midfielders advancing and also wings.
On Meg Boade’s first start and her performance:
Really happy for her because she’s been training really [well]. She was excited and I think it’s really positive that we can give those opportunities to young players and, to be honest, we thought that she deserved it because she was doing a really good job during the week and we wanted to give her a chance. We know that she’s a player that can play in those pockets between lines. She has a really good last pass, the last third, she has quality to play there, good finishing too. Also, in terms of how we wanted to defend today, it was a really really difficult role so she helped us there in that pocket also. I think she’s done a good job. It wasn’t easy and I’m happy that we can give her chances and as many players as we have available… we can have different options for sure.
On the importance of Kouassi scoring her first goal:
Finally, she got the goal, she’s been trying hard last season and this one creating a lot of chances and having a great impact in many games. Happy for her because she’s been [playing well]. To be honest, I think she [didn’t have] her best game, especially in defending. Sometimes she was jumping a little bit late but it’s hard sometimes to communicate with her. She’s doing [well], I think. Now [she’s] going to have more confidence, especially attacking, because she’s also giving us assists. It’s a type of play that we want her to score because she’s able to. From there, let’s see if she can keep scoring.
On the decision to have Sandy play a match and then bring Aubrey back in:
It was planned to give the chance to Sandy last week and this week [to] start with Aubrey. I think we need to be, as always, ready to have different options and also players know that at anytime they can start. So I think they need to be ready and that’s going to be really positive.
On Makenna’s ability to play multiple positions so far this season:
I think she’s doing [well] knowing that she’s used to playing there in college. The last season, in our mind, she was a wing and she was helping us a lot especially pressing high, identifying when to jump to center backs and also giving assists and scoring goals too. We would prefer to have her as a wing but the circumstances this season [have her playing back] and she’s been adapting really [well]. She’s a player that can learn pretty [easily] and that’s going to help her in the future because we know that sometimes it’s difficult for her defending 1v1 situations or close to our box [since] she hasn’t had those exposures and now these situations are going to help her in the future to be a better wing or wing back. [Having more] options, I think it’s going to be better for her career to play in different positions and be a better player.
Defenders Gabby Carle and Tara McKeown
On the importance of getting three points on the road after two tough home losses:
McKeown: It feels great, honestly. After those two losses, we’ve been trying to get back together as a team and just figure out what we can do better to get those three points and to leave [an away match] with three points I think is big and hopefully will help us going into next week.
Carle: I feel like it was a very gritty performance. I think that’s what was missing a little bit, especially at the start of games the last two [weeks], so it was good to get that [win].
On the team’s overall performance in the windy conditions to pull out the 3-2 win:
Carle: I’m going to say the wind was crazy. I think depending on the side that you were playing on, it was a completely different game. We took advantage of the wind in the first half, it was going for us and I think at the beginning we were too powerful for the wind and we were just sending balls out of bounds. But after adapting, that was to our advantage, and then I think in the second half they had the advantage with that and it became a bit tough and we definitely had to be resilient. It wasn’t the prettiest game, but I think in terms of grit, resilience and just scoring goals, two-three goals, I think this was a good performance.
On what McKeown saw when she assisted Rosemonde Kouassi’s first-half goal:
McKeown: I think there [were] multiple opportunities with that like when we were able to switch the ball and they didn’t have someone stepping out to either the center backs or even the outside backs, there was time for us to look up and find where the runs were coming from. Also, we just did a low passing pattern the other day in training, so I knew Rose would be running, so why not put it there for her.
On the bounce back win, still having things to work on:
McKeown: I think it’s really big to get the three points, but obviously there are some things that we can improve, definitely defending in the box and following our runners. Getting the three points on the road and creating a lot of goal-scoring opportunities, I think that was a good takeaway, but there’s always something that you can work on from a game, no matter if you win or lose. We’ll be going back to the drawing board this week and hopefully getting better.
On the team’s success on the road as opposed to at home through eight matches:
McKeown: This year, we did have a meeting in the beginning of the year saying that we wanted to be better on the road because there were some times when we didn’t start the game so great on the road last year. We’ve had that mindset going into all the [away] games this year, but I think we can also step it up and have the same mindset at home and reclaim our territory there. We’re just as hard to be at home as well.
