Head Coach Adrian Heath
On losing three points late in the game…
“Well, when it’s as late as that, it’s obviously always a kick at the team but the longer the game went, I always felt it was going to be a one-nil game. They had a couple of chances early on, we had two or three really good chances as well. Just not playing it cool enough in the final third. I’m sure they might think the same but certainly, with the opportunities we’ve had this evening, we should be scoring a goal at least.”
On making a substitution early in the second half and his thought process behind the change…
“I was trying to get a goal. I was trying to get a goal and I thought maybe putting Abu [Danladi’s] pace through the middle might cause them a little bit more than Adrien’s [Hunou] movement and general play because the three center backs are big, very uncompromising and I felt we might be able to stretch it with a little bit more pace so we had changed it around halfway and put Abu through the middle to see if that would help us unlock the door.”
On finding out late about illness to Robin Lod and Luis Amarilla…
“It’s never easy. We’ve had a little bit of a bug going through the club this week. Obviously, Robin [Lod] has proved an integral part of a lot of things we have done over the past couple of years so losing a player of his quality, whether he plays wide or through the middle he generally produces something for us, especially at home and we missed that bit of quality today.”
On conceding late in second straight game and a theme building…
“Not really, not yet we will see. When you are giving corners away and you look at the size that they’ve got with the three centerbacks they’ve got. And you look at [Brandon] Vazquez and [Haris] Medunjanin; its a big group they’ve got. Set pieces we knew they were going to be an issue and then we really never dealt with the first phase and they recycle it and get a good opportunity. We didn’t do enough when the ball goes wide to get out the box and defend the box properly.”
On Cincinnati playing with a back five…
“It’s never easy when you are in a back five, obviously less space, but that creates a lot more space in wider areas. I thought we got out in wider areas first half and didn’t do quite enough with it. Certainly didn’t work their penalty area enough. When you consider the amount of ball that we had maybe halfway in their half of the field. Most systems there's pros and cons to it. The one there you leave yourself a little bit spare in wide areas. They prepared to do that and we didn’t make enough of our numerical advantage in wider areas.”
On Cincinnati being a different team this year…
“I can't fault the effort today. It's not that the lads didn’t try or anything, I just don’t think there was enough quality in important areas. At the end of the day you live and die by both boxes. Tonight we weren’t in their attacking box enough for the amount of possession we had and then they gave up some quality out there. Dayne [St. Clair] got a couple big saves for us in the first half. Goals change games, you hear me say it all the time. When you get them moments, I’m sure they thought they were gonna rue their opportunities that they had in the first half, but it wasn’t to be.”
On the two big chances in the first half…
“I’ll have to see them again cause it's difficult when you’re standing where I'm sitting, you can’t gauge the depth of how close they are. They were two really good opportunities for sure.
On how the team had to adapt to the game Cincinnati was playing…
“Less space to run into and when you got that many bodies back like they had, your approach play has to be precise, there's not a lot of room for error. I watched the game today Tottenham against Liverpool and there's no space to play in. They did a good job of nullifying the areas we like to work in. That's part of the game, they decided to do that and they did a good job. They've come out with the result, so they were pleased.”
Forward Niko Hansen
On losing in the 93rd minute…
“I’m kind of at a loss of words. We had some good chances and just don’t think we do enough. I know, I personally didn’t do enough on one. I think we’re the better team and to go away without points there is tough.”
On his first MLS appearance and the pressure he felt in doing so…
“Pressure is relative. You’re in a game and then you have got to put in the work. I’ve played in plenty of games like this, I don’t think it’s any surprise to me what it looks like or what’s going on. I’ve just been patient and obviously still think I could’ve done better today with a few chances but that’s part of the game and hopefully, there’s more to come.”
On the strategy to combat FCC’s five-player backline by getting wide and the disconnect…
“I think we tried to exploit that for sure. I think there were times we made it difficult for them and we got a lot of corners out of it because they’re having to make last-minute plays there, last actions there. It’s unfortunate that one doesn’t go through and we get a good chance on goal.”
On Luis Amarilla and Robin Lod’s absence from the team and its possible disruption…
“I mean, it’s definitely not… you can go back all the way to losing Hassani [Dotson] and everything too. I think when you don’t have the full team it’s different. I think a guy like myself was ready. I wanted to be ready and I knew that my chance was going to come. I think that’s part of being a team. Your number is going to get called at some point and that’s why we have the depth we have.”
On conceding half of the home games this year despite a positive record at home in the past…
“I mean I don’t think that there’s anything to blame. Just whether we’ve been not good enough or the other team has been fortunate, I don’t know. That’s the game of football, especially the MLS. Each team is good enough to take points. I think we definitely need to look inwards and continue to trust ourselves and know that we’re a good enough team to especially win at home.”
On turning around his attacking game…
“I think we set ourselves up for good chances often. We’re a very aggressive attacking team and I think it’s tough to pinpoint saying we’re lacking maybe on goals, but possession and being in the final third, I think we do really, really well. I think the final product is maybe missing or maybe other teams have just been fortunate. I think we make it really, really difficult. I think those opportunities are going to come.”
On his first debut…
“It’s nice to get on the field for sure. I think it’s obviously a little sour losing, for sure. I think for me, especially a person like myself, I kind of take it personally. I look at my input and the things that I could’ve done better. I’m pretty upset with the loss and I’m going to go home and look at everything I could’ve done better. I think that’s what everybody on this team is doing, kind of to answer where we’ve been lacking, I don’t think anybody is blaming anybody. I think everybody is looking inwards and I think that’s part of our team as a strength. Everybody takes responsibility and I think we want to do better… We definitely can do better.”
