Head Coach Adrian Heath
On going back to the United Kingdom over the break…
“It was good. I’ve got a friend of mine who is not too well at the moment so a good chance to see him and see my granddaughter for the first time, which was nice. It’s always nice to go home, see my mom and family. But it’s been nice to get back. I think we’ve had a great little break. A lot of the lads went home or had a break on the coast somewhere and now we’re back to work. I think the game is actually going to be really important for us this weekend because it gives us a chance to tap some minutes up for a few of the guys.”
On how important the break was for the team…
“I think more psychologically, mentally than physically. I think for some of the guys it come at a good time, but I think overall, I would think more mentally we’re at that stage of the season where just to get away and everybody sort of recharges their own batteries in their own little way. Get away from each other, get away from the training ground for a little bit was good for everybody.”
On the feeling of being back after a couple of days away…
“It’s amazing. Two or three days away and you just feel a little bit different. The mood in the group has been really, really good. The training has been excellent. We’ve worked quite hard today and then we’re up here again tomorrow. Game at the weekend and then we’re back in the normal routine before the Revs [New England Revolution] game.”
On some different players getting minutes versus Paderborn…
“Yeah and for some of the guys who… You know I look at Adrien Hunou, I look at Luis Amarilla. Can they get on the field, can they get a goal, can they start getting some confidence back in themselves and in their own game. For a lot of different reasons for a lot of different players I think this weekend is important.”
On it being good welcoming international football to Allianz Field…
“It is and I always think it’s a good opportunity for people to come. We’ve got a great stadium, show that off. Show the fact that the league is growing by the way that we play. I know what the Germans are going to be like. They’ll come here and they’ll treat it properly. I know it’s part of their preseason so they’ll be working hard. It’s important for a lot of… I’m looking forward to the game, I always do. I think the international games give you a little something different and I think for the people out there who are wondering whether they come or not, I think it’s a really good opportunity to come and see a Bundesliga team. I think there is something for everybody this weekend.”
On what to expect from Paderborn…
“I would think they would be very well organized. Big, athletic, and aggressive. The German league is very big, strong, and athletic, so I don’t expect anything different. The fact that it’s preseason you would think they would make quite a few changes, I would think, during the game.”
Midfielder Niko Hansen
On the opportunity of the break…
“It’s been very busy with Open Cup and all this stuff, it’s nice to get a few days just mentally, physically, kind of get away from it for a second and get ready for the second half of the season.”
On what he did over the break…
“I went to California. Kind of back home, went out to the beach. It was beautiful. Every day was monotonous, but it was much needed.”
On how much the break has helped the players…
“I think we had, towards the end there, six games back-to-back-to-back Wednesday Saturday. So I think it’s a perfect time for us to kind of be like go rest guys, take a break. We may not be where we want to be right now, but we have a whole second half of the season to ramp it up and I think it was perfect for guys to go and rest the mind and rest the body.”
On how training has been since the return…
“It’s been good. I think you can tell guys are ready to go. When you go away, you kind of not necessarily fall in love again a little bit, but you miss it and you come back and you just feel like not necessarily more confident, but you just feel a little bit easy on the ball and not as much thinking about things.”
On playing against international competition…
“I think it will be a great opportunity for us. I’m from Denmark and my dad always says we never know how to gage what teams are like here in MLS versus any kind of league in Europe. It will be good for us to get out and play against them and gage that competition.”
On the timing of the Paderborn match to possibly regain some sharpness…
“I think it’s a good one for us to get some guys some minutes and just mentally play against a good team. I think it takes away, I don’t know if you want to say pressure a little bit, and then going out and enjoying ourselves. It’s kind of been you get away, you come back, you have a friendly game and I think it kind of sets us well for the rest of the season.”
On players who don’t get a ton of minutes are approaching the week…
“I think everybody is ready. I think everybody is excited. It’s going to be a good, fun game. I think it’s going to show what we’re capable of from the first guy to the 30th guy.”
On the sense of opportunity…
“Yeah for everybody, of course.”
On his thoughts of the season so far…
“I think it’s been a weird tale, for sure. I think we’ve had games that we should have won and I think we’ve won some games that we’ve really, really grinded out and got some points out of. That happens in the MLS. Every week some team can win that’s been doing bad and some team will lose that’s been on a great run. I think we’ve kind of been in that run of the MLS story. We have a lot to offer though. The second half… I always say some goals go your way and some goals don’t. I think right now we’ve had a lot of not ones go our way, so I think those ones turn around and what a perfect time towards the end of the season.”
