Presented by:
MINNESOTA UNITED HEAD COACH ADRIAN HEATH
On making the playoffs, with a home game, for the second consecutive year…
“It’s testament for the effort that players have put in. It’s been a really testing, trying year for everybody, not just on the field, but off the field, all the stuff that we’ve been through. The fact that we’ve finished fourth in the [conference] and we’re going into the playoffs with, is it eight or nine games unbeaten streak, is excellent. We need to push on now. As I said to the players this week, we don’t feel as though the season is over, don’t feel as though we’ve accomplished anything. Let’s go win the next game and see where that takes us and that’s gotta be the aim.”
On having a full additional week to prep for Sunday’s game and have international players available…
“The international one is huge. We thank the league for going through what they’ve done to get these players back in time. I think a little bit of common sense has prevailed in terms of the testing. That’s, obviously, been a big plus. The international break, for us, has given us time. And what the most important thing is it’s been time to get some work into some, rest for others and clear up on or two knocks for one or two players. This rest has been invaluable to us, it really has.”
On what’s changed for Colorado Rapids since the last matchup…
“As I said when we played them, they’ve had a difficult spell with the COVID but the plus side of that, if there is a positive, is the fact they’re probably fresh. They had five or six weeks where they didn’t really play and they’ve come back refreshed. You can see that, they’re a good team, they’ve got good energy at this moment, playing with a lot of confidence. And the game where we won the game, it was very, very tight. I don’t expect it to be any different at the weekend. We’re going to have to play well to win the game. I got a lot of respect for Robin [Fraser]. I think he’s a really, not only a great guy, but a really good coach. And I think it’s going to be tough for us this weekend. We are going to have to bring our best game.”
On preparing for midfielder Jack Price…
“Jack’s, you know, I’ve known him a long, long time. He’s an English kid who I’m remembering from his early days. If you give good players time and space, invariable they’ll show you they’re a good player and Jack is one of them. He makes good decisions. Doesn’t kill himself by making poor decisions. When you give him the ball, he makes invariably…he’s a good passer, good range of passing. We’re going to have to make sure he doesn’t have that much time.”
MINNESOTA UNITED MIDFIELDER EMANUEL REYNOSO
On having an additional week to prepare for the playoff game…
[SPA] “Muy bien. La verdad que tuvimos, como dice vos, varios días de descansar y para prepararnos para el partido muy importante que tenemos, tanto para nosotros como grupo, pero para el club. Nos preparamos de la mejor manera, estamos entrenando muy duro en lo físico y corregir que tuvimos durante el torneo. Estamos haciendo una semana muy buen y preparando para el partido que tenemos, que es muy importante.”
[ENG] “I feel really good. Like you said, we had several days to rest and prepare for a very important game we have, not just for us as a team, but for the whole organization. We’ll prepare in the best way, we’re training really hard physically and trying to correct the mistakes we made throughout the season. We’ve had a good week so far, preparing for an important game ahead.”
On how he adjusted to the team since arriving, finishing the season with seven assists and one goal…
[SPA] “Bien, bien. La verdad que bueno, contento, feliz porque puedo asistir al grupo, a mis compañeros y pude meter mi primer gol. Hacía mucho que no jugaba, seis o siete meses que estaba parado cuando llegue acá, trate de dar lo mejor. Ahora, como te dije, seguir preparando de la mejor manera para afrentarnos a Colorado que es un gran equipo.”
[ENG] “Honestly, really well. I’m happy to have been able to assist the group and my teammates and score my first goal. It had been a while since I had played, six or seven months of stoppage but when I arrived, I tried to give my best. Now, like I said, keep preparing well to face Colorado, which is a great team.”
On what to expect from Colorado Rapids…
[SPA] “Es un partido durísimo. Es un partido que va ser de ida y vuelta. Tenemos que tratar de jugar como lo hicimos el último partido [en contra Dallas]. Creo que hicimos un gran partido todo el grupo, todos los compañeros. A descansar, a pensar en ellos que va ser un gran partido y tenemos la ventaja de jugar de local así que vamos a dar lo mejor.”
[ENG] “It’s going to be a tough match. It’ll be back and forth. We have to try and play like we did in the last game [against Dallas]. I think we played a great game as a whole group, as teammates. Now we rest, prepare for Colorado because it’s going to be a tough game, but we have the advantage of playing at home so we’re going to give it our best.”
MINNESOTA UNITED DEFENDER MICHAEL BOXALL
On having an additional week to prepare for the playoff game…
“We’ve come into this last week and there’s definitely been a buzz about us, we look forward to our playoff game this weekend. Everyone is really sharp. Had a little but more rest and hopefully all the international boys get back in time and we’ll be firing this weekend.”
On making the playoffs and hosting a home playoff game two years in a row…
“Watching this team grow, it’s kind of where we expect to be: hosting playoff games and, obviously that was our goal last year, we got there and I think we still left a bit on the table. We want to go, definitely, a lot further than we went last year. It can’t just be about making the playoffs, it’s about making a deep run and I don’t think MLS Cup is unrealistic for us.”
On facing Colorado Rapids in the first playoff game…
“We’ve just played them recently and managed to beat them but I don’t think we were firing at all cylinders. So I think, with a bit more rest and as long as we get all our bodies back and healthy, we’ll be fired up. We’re more than capable and as long we get a good start, we’re good to go.”
On a rollercoaster of a 2020 season…
“We’ve had a lot thrown at us this year, previous years we’ve had a lot thrown at us but we’ve just been resilient no matter what. Whether it’s been going through tough patches of form, whether it’s all the [stuff] that’s been thrown at us this year with the pandemic and George Floyd in Minneapolis. Just to see our players really get together. We’re all here for a common cause and that’s to play football, and to be able to help out in other ways in our community like so many of my teammates have done, that’s been the most heartwarming thing for me to see.”
MINNESOTA UNITED MIDFIELDER KEVIN MOLINO
On making the playoffs, with a home game, for the second consecutive year…
“With the current circumstances, to end up fourth is good but we just need to keep pushing. All we have done during the season counts for nothing now. It’s an important game, it’s a knockout game and we have to give everything. For the team and the club, we need to win this game, no excuse.”
On the success of his season…
“Firstly, physically I had a tough year, in and out with injury in the hamstring, and playing six games, really happy to be out there and enjoying and helping the team, contribute. But overall as a team performance, I think we did well but we need to keep going. That’s just the first part, now the second part, the most important part and just need to keep going. For me, I have a lot of confidence now. I just need to keep practicing it in training and execute it Sunday.”
On facing Colorado Rapids in the first playoff game…
“Good quality team. Can’t take them for granted. We need to set the tone. We are home. We need to be on the front foot all the time and get an early goal. When I look at our last game [against Dallas], we put together a full 90 minutes and we need to take that into this game coming up.”
