MINNESOTA UNITED HEAD COACH ADRIAN HEATH
On his overall impression of the team’s performance on Sunday…
“As I said to the guys after, you can’t give them [character]. They’ve either got that in them or they haven’t, this group has. Did we play well for 70 minutes? No, we’re well aware of that but after four months, the one thing I cannot question is their determination, adversity, what they came through. It’s been a pretty traumatic four months for a lot of these guys, where we’ve been living and what’s been going on so I was delighted with their attitude. We’ve seen it again, sweltering conditions, full-on all morning. I said after the game, we can and will be better and I fully expect us to be better on Friday.”
On Kevin Molino’s performance…
“We’re going to need him and Kev pretty much epitomized the whole performance really. At times in the first half, he was a bit sticky and we didn’t move the ball well like we can but once he comes alive, he gives this team so much. Not only energy but craft and guile and things in the final third which are…that’s why they go for the most money, the people who score and make goals because that’s the hardest thing in football and when Kevin’s at his best, that’s what he can do.”
On preparing to defend against Albert Rusnak and Damir Kreilach…
“They’re top players, international players. Rusnak was at Manchester City as a kid. They went and found him in Slovakia so we know they got talent. Our games against them have been tight but most of the games, we could have won. I know it’s going to be tight on Friday but if we play like we can, we can go and win this game as well.”
On getting used to the conditions of the Orlando heat…
“I don’t think you ever can get used to 100 degree heat and humidity, whatever it is today. It’s the same for everybody and as I said to the players, this is about character as much as anything else. I’m sure the other coaches have said the same. Every day you come out, they tell you oh 100 degrees again, but you’ve got to come and work because that’s the nature of the game and they’ve come out and worked again. Do we get used to it? Probably not but it’s the same for both teams and we go again on Friday.”
On preparing for a 10:30 p.m. ET kickoff…
“Just to give the people back home a little bit of insight into what we go through, some days we’re up at six for getting tested. Then you’re kicking off at nine in the morning like some teams have been doing, getting up at five-thirty, having a pre-match meal at six in the morning – all things no player, no coach has ever been through. So it’s a lot about mental strength and that’s what we’ve spoke about to the players. Let’s control the controllables, let’s get on with it, let’s go with a positive attitude and we’ll take what comes.”
MINNESOTA UNITED MIDFIELDER KEVIN MOLINO
On coming back to Orlando and performing well…
“Good. After a long period of time off, four months, happy to be back training and playing. Happy for us to kick off the cup with a win and looking forward to the game on Friday.”
On playing more centrally on Sunday versus on the wing in 2019…
“Yea, I play a lot for my national team the number 10 role and I know a lot about the responsibilities to make and score goals. I’ve been putting in the work on the off time and I just continue putting in the work, come to the drawing board and learn every day and work hard together with my teammates.”
On his son’s celebrations after his goal…
“It means a lot to me. It means everything to me. He’s very passionate like me, he loves the game, he enjoys the game, he’s happy we won. Before the game, he was crying. I was happy to see him enjoying himself and that I can inspire him in many different ways, not just him, kids around the world. All of us have kids, players have kids and can motivate their kids and people all around the world while we go through a difficult time in our life and that’s what sports do. Sports unify and bring people together and I’m just happy.”
On preparing for a 10:30 p.m. ET kickoff…
“Normal. Same routine. I don’t have special routine I do; eat, get a lot of rest, I have to sleep a lot. And before the game, we do all the work on the drawing board so now it’s time to execute and you just go there, try and execute and work together as a team”
MINNESOTA UNITED DEFENDER JOSE AJA
On his first start with Minnesota United…
[SPA] “Muy contento. La victoria que conseguimos fue enorme. Muy buen trabajo de todo el equipo, un esfuerzo muy, muy grande, peleando hasta el minuto final y nos pudimos llevar la victoria en los últimos minutos. Fue un premio al esfuerzo de todo el equipo a no dar la batalla por perdida.”
[ENG] “Really happy. That was a massive win for us. It was a great job by the whole team, great effort, fighting to the very last minute and we came away with a win in the final minutes. It was a prize to the effort from the whole team to not give up the fight.”
On his relationship with the Michael Boxall, Romain Metanire, Chase Gasper and the defensive line…
[SPA] “Creo que, en el trabajo defensivo, nos estamos entendiendo cada vez mejor. Semana a semana nos venimos trabajando y nos venimos afianzando cada vez más. El otro día en el partido, creo que hicimos un gran trabajo en la línea defensiva. Espero que podamos seguir teniendo grandes actuaciones y si conseguir logrando grandes triunfos.”
[ENG] “I think on the defensive side, we’re understanding more of each other every day better. Week after week, we’re working and we’re becoming stronger as a unit each time. At the game the other day, I think we did a great job on the defensive line. I hope we can keep up the great work and keep winning games.”
On preparing to defend against Albert Rusnak and Damir Kreilach
[SPA] “Sin duda que tienen un gran equipo, como son todos los equipos en la MLS. Todos los equipos son muy buenos, están de niveles muy parejos, pero nosotros confiamos en nuestro equipo y sabemos que lo tenemos que hacer para llegarnos a victoria.”
[ENG] “No doubt, they have a great team, like all teams in MLS, all are really good and at even levels but we’re confident in our team and we know what we have to do to get the win.”
