SEATTLE REIGN FC at WASHINGTON SPIRIT POSTGAME QUOTES
Friday, May 24, 2024 • Audi Field • Washington, D.C.
Seattle Reign FC Head Coach Laura Harvey
On her thoughts on tonight’s performance:
“Very similar to last week – we had chances to score early, we didn’t, we then gave them all three goals, I thought. The first goal, we needed to do better in multiple levels. Thought we were poor defensively that led to the goal – the penalty. I think the penalty is harsh but can understand why it was given and the third goal, we’ve spent so much time on defending crosses and talking about marking in the box and all the different things and it was carbon copy of last week. We say every week right now that we kill ourselves in those moments when we concede goals, but we should have scored goals before they scored and I think the game would have changed itself, but it didn’t. And again, I’m saying the same thing to the team at the end, can’t fault their effort and desire when the chips are down, but we can’t wait for those moments. This league is to unforgiving for that.”
On Emeri Adames’ first professional goal:
“Yeah, last week, she was really annoyed with herself and actually upset with herself that she had a chance late in the game and it went over the bar and all week we’ve been saying to her that’s why we have her on the team is, she’s willing to take those chances and she took one tonight and it went in. So yeah, happy for her, wish it was in different circumstances.”
On Nikki Stanton’s performance and if there was any consideration in starting her:
“No, not really. I think Nikki has always been known to close games out for us. But I thought, we spoke at half time, we weren’t winning first and second balls, we weren’t winning any second balls in the first half. In fairness to Nikki, she really set the tone in the second half of winning second balls. That field is absolutely embarrassing. It’s an embarrassing field to play on. You can’t play real football on it. It becomes about winning first and second balls and they did that in the first half and we didn’t do that enough and she came on in the second half and helped us do that, which I think got us up the field.”
On Jordyn Huitema making her return after missing the last seven games due to a back injury:
“Yeah, just really happy she’s back. She’s worked really hard. She’s been patient. It’s been a tough road for her. But we’re going to need her, so hopefully she can stay healthy.”
On where the team being inches away and where they will go from here during the international break:
“I’ve said that every week, so I think it would be – I think it’s hard to keep saying that and it not changing. You can’t be inches away and it not change. I think if we weren’t scoring goals, if we weren’t creating chances, I would be more concerned. But I said to the group at the end, I think we cannot keep shooting ourselves in the foot and we keep doing that and that has to change, whether that’s personnel changes to stop that from happening, whether that’s we change the way we play to stop that from happening, something has to change and that may mean something completely different from what we look like on the field, who knows? But that is the point for me, we can’t keep saying every week that we’re inches away and conceding. We’ve conceded 10 goals in three games, it’s just not acceptable, so we can keep talking about inches as much as we want, but the harsh reality is you can’t concede that many goals in this league and expect to win games.”
Seattle Reign FC Forward Jordyn Huitema and Forward Veronica Latsko
On their overall thoughts from the performance tonight:
Latsko: “Yeah, it’s disappointing. I think this has been another tale of two halves and we weren’t good enough in the first half and in the second half, we were a completely different team and we just have to learn from this one and keep going.”
On how it felt to get back on the field:
Huitema: “Feels good. There was a lot of work behind the scenes from the staff and the medical team and even the team to get me back to be ready for for this game, for the coming season, for camp, for everything. So, I’m definitely grateful for everybody on the team.”
On where the team goes from here during the international break:
Huitema: “I think we’re inches away. I don’t think we’re far off. I think we prove time and time again what we’re capable of. I think it’s just being able to do that for 90-plus minutes. I think we’re right there and I think we just need to all believe that we’re right there. I mean, I still believe, I think a lot of the team still believes, I don’t think anybody’s questioning where we can still take this season. We want our fans to still believe. I think they’re definitely a huge support for us. So, having them to stay on our side. I mean, the season’s long and people and teams have proved time and time again that it’s long, so I’d say, don’t count us out. I think we’re right there. I think once we figure it out, you’re not going to be able to stop us. We just have to get that final piece of the puzzle.”
On getting close to scoring and what that does for her:
Huitema: “Yeah, I mean, I said it on the field and I think I need to score that goal. I think that changes the momentum of the game in that moment. Yes, to get the opportunity and to hit the post, it’s close, but it doesn’t count for anything. It’s like I didn’t get the chance to begin with. So, I think little moments like that, I put that on my shoulders. I need to score that and we need to score in moments. But yeah, like I said, we’re inches between everything – the post, the play, the first half to the second half – we’re inches away from things, so it’s just the story of the game, really.”
On Croix Bethune making a strong impact in the season as a rookie for the Washington Spirit:
Latsko: “I think she’s a talented player. I think the moment Nikki Stanton stepped on the field, she shut it down and credit to Nikki Stanton. She played incredible. I think that she completely changed the gate when she came on the field and I’m incredibly proud of her and it just shows that we are a deep team and do not count us out.”
On Adames’ first professional goal and what they said to her after she scored:
Huitema: “I mean, I think it’s tough because we scored in a spot where we were just trying to get the ball back in play. So, she definitely didn’t get the celebration on the field that she deserved in the moment, but I think afterwards, we were all able to celebrate her a little bit more and I’m sure we’re going to all have our words with her later today. So, definitely a tough circumstance to kind of score your final goal in the final second while you’re losing. But very proud of her, she’s worked very hard and she deserves that. Yeah, she’s done very well this season.”