Quote Sheet
Real Salt Lake 2-1 Los Angeles Galaxy
Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, Utah
Wednesday, September 29, 2021
Interim Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni
On how special Anderson Julio’s goal was:
“It's incredible and the timing couldn't be better. In sports, I think those are the moments that you hang on and believe that there's a chance. I think it speaks volumes to the mentality of the group. It's not just the guys that start, it’s the guys that have come off the bench this year that have made a fantastic contribution to the group. Anderson [Julio] has done that on several occasions. There's been a lot of performances. I think against a great opponent like LA throwing everything at us, we weathered some storms out there. Ochoa was standing on his head at times and the backline was really great in a lot of moments. In the midfield we began to pick up second balls in the second half and we played forward a little bit more to create a couple of good opportunities on goal and then to finish it off with something like that, I think it's just the crescendo of a wonderful night. It felt a lot like a playoff match tonight and I couldn't be happier for the group.”
On who RSL’s two best strikers are going forward:
“I think it's tough to say to be honest. I think every player brings a different element to the team. Anderson [Julio] likes to get behind. Bobby [Wood] likes to hold up play, but he can also get behind and Rubio [Rubin] is great at doing a lot of different things and doing a lot of little things that bring the group forward. Dami [Kreilach] obviously is exceptional at getting on the back shoulder and finishing crosses. So I think as we move forward a lot will depend on form obviously, but the other part is the opponents. If they’re pressing higher, we obviously want guys that can threaten the backline and pose a threat that way. It’s a good problem to have as they say, but one thing that we've talked about is the competition in the different positions to make this team better. At the end of the day, everyone is performing as best they can to not only put themselves in a good position as far as their careers are concerned, but this year it's about the team and doing everything we can to make a good run for the playoffs.”
On what you need to see from Anderson Julio for him to start:
“I think I would like to say he's gonna get a start here soon. In these three game weeks, there's a fine line for continuity. The week before where we had a three-game week, Anderson [Julio] started the LAFC game and I thought he did fantastic. You're trying to guess as to how your opponents are going to come in. If they're going to come in and press, which they did at times today, I think Anderson would have been great. We thought they were going to come in and press for about 10 minutes and then back off, but they kept coming. I tell the players all the time that you can only control what you do every day in training and how you perform in games. I think Anderson is obviously performing great in both and Rubio is doing the same thing as well so it’s definitely not an easy selection, but I'd imagine that Anderson gets a start here soon.”
Goalkeeper David Ochoa
On what this game means to the team:
“It's a big result. We had a tough night in Portland and we wanted to respond the right way. I feel like we did that tonight. To come out with three points is huge, especially in these last couple games. Hopefully we can forget the night in Portland and build some momentum and keep getting some big results because every point is crucial now.”
On having top performances against top Mexican players:
“Honestly, halfway through the game I was actually thinking that exact thing. I was thinking, ‘Why do I have such good performances against the top Mexican players?’ I don't have an answer to that. I can't explain it, but it's funny because I was definitely thinking that. Maybe I just get a little more motivated to play these guys, because I've watched these guys on TV since I was a little kid. So I don't have an answer for you, but it's something special for me to be able to save some shots from those two big players. It makes me want to shoot for the stars and hopefully reach the top.”
On Hispanic Heritage month:
“Yeah, it was a really cool night. It was a cool month in general. Me being of two nationalities, obviously born here and both my parents being from Mexico, it's pretty cool that we have a month that celebrates us, celebrates us brown people. To have a good performance tonight especially versus two big Mexican players with Dos Santos and Chicharito it's a whole different feeling. Hopefully I can keep this confidence going and have a good couple more performances.”
Midfielder Damir Kreilach
On playing with this group:
“I am so proud of the group, of my teammates, the coaching staff, of all of us. It wasn’t easy to come out tonight after losing 6-1 against Portland, but we did it. We showed again that we are mentally ready to win the game at any time and we did it tonight. It wasn’t the best game, but at the end of the day who cares because three points are in our account and that is what counts. It was the most important game of the season so far and we won it.”
On what it was like to celebrate with his family:
“It was a special moment for me and for them. At the end of the day I would point to our twelfth player, our fans. It was a great atmosphere again. It was crowded. We made them happy, we made us happy and now we move forward. It’s on to Austin now. It’s going to be another hard game, another difficult game, but we are going to go there to get three points as well.”
