Quote Sheet
Real Salt Lake 2-1 Nashville SC
Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, UT
March 19, 2022
Goalkeeper Zac MacMath
On his mental and physical health:
Physically, it's been a struggle. I picked up a bone bruise before the Houston [Dynamo] game and have been trying to manage it the last few weeks, taking a couple of days off when needed. So that’s been a big struggle honestly, but it’s helped me focus more mentally and get ready for these games and try to keep the guys in front of me ready.
On the big saves:
I was just telling the guys on TV some of those saves, I'm not really thinking. It’s just, I’m there, and I’m making the save. Now I can kind of attribute that to my confidence. Being in the right place at the right time, and just making quick decisions where I don't actually have to think. I attribute that to my confidence just because my confidence has risen the last four games.
On the captain’s armband and communication:
“Obviously communication is a huge thing. Communication was one of the big focuses that Pablo [Mastroeni] brought to the team coming into preseason. With Scott [Caldwell] and Pablo [Ruiz] in the middle kind of controlling everyone in front of them and the back three keeping the ball in front of us as much as possible. Respect to [Hany] Muhktar and Alex [Muyl] especially the way that they were able to find those soft spots in our defense. It was very difficult, and they are a very good team. I thought we adjusted to it very well in the second half. It's very hard to communicate not just in a full stadium, but when the winds are whipping like that, it can be very difficult and the guys did a great job figuring it out.”
Head Coach Pablo Masteroeni
On the defensive effort:
“Yeah, they did a good job especially in the first half of asking a lot of questions about Alex [Muyl] and [Hany] Muhktar. It felt like we were broken way too easily because we weren’t compact enough. In the second half, when we were locking the ball onto one side, it was critical that Bobby [Wood] came down into the six instead of releasing one of our sixes and opening up that gap where they were receiving that ball. The other part of that was there were sometimes where we were three versus one with our center backs. We had to find the right combination between Bobby [Wood] dropping in on that six, and also one of our centerbacks releasing. I think in the second half we did a much better job at that and consolidated the space to make it more compact.
On the Bode Davis substitution:
Yeah at that point I think we got the goal that we needed, and we knew we needed to defend set pieces. Bode [Davis]’s defensive work has been there, and he’s also played winger, right back, and wing back. From a game management perspective, I think it was important because we had Jasper [Löeffelsend] and Everton [Luiz] going in against guys like Walker [Zimmerman] and Dave [Romney] who are all pretty big. it’s just what the moment called for.
On the culture of the team:
“I couldn’t be more proud of these guys. We are in the process of really trying to build a culture, and we have plenty of examples of what phenomenal culture looks like. We have [Aaron] Herrera who’s been out all preseason come in tonight and put in a great shift. Bobby [Wood] has been throwing up the last couple of days, scores a goal and gives a great shift. Tate [Schmitt] wasn’t given the opportunity for a couple of years then earning the opportunity and running with it. Johan [Kappelhof] didn’t have a preseason but has been coming in and working during his days off to get fit. So when you talk about culture, it’s something that needs to be sustainable for us. From my perspective, all the soccer stuff aside, if you don’t have the right character and mentality, then we wouldn’t have the chance. It’s a game that is unforgiving, and you have to earn the right in these games. I can go through a list of things we didn’t have, but I’ll tell you what we did have: character and mentality.
Defender Tate Schmitt
On scoring another big goal for RSL:
“Yeah, I’m happy with the three points. Big results for us, especially at home. Honestly, there’s still a lot of things we need to work on–myself, as well as the team. We just gotta enjoy the win tonight but get ready to work this upcoming week.”
On being a homegrown scorer in front of a sold-out stadium
“I’m pumped, it’s a long time coming. It’s always said that, ‘there’s no elevator to success, you have to take the stairs,’ so it’s just step by step. Getting to where you need to be, it’s all about timing. I’ve been patient, working hard, and finding my opportunities so I’m happy.”
On how he measures his confidence level right now:
“I would say it’s not so much my personal confidence, but the freedom and confidence of my teammates around me who trust me and my abilities. Just that alone and knowing I have players around me who have my back defensively and also expect me to finish those chances. It starts with the habits we instill in training. Since preseason, Pablo [Mastroeni]’s set a good standard for us: just go out and grind every day. I think the guys have followed that and that’s given me the confidence to play.”
