Post-Training Press Conference • 4-24-23
Head Coach Laura Harvey and Defender Alana Cook
Head Coach Laura Harvey
On coming off a win:
“I think coming back home and putting on a show for our fans is always important to us and to score five goals at home is always nice. I wish we hadn’t conceded the two [goals], but we’ll take the win at home. I think they’re really important for us.”
On preparing for Racing Louisville FC:
“I think, we play Louisville on Saturday and then we go into a three-game week again, so we’ve got to make sure we get our prep for Louisville right but also thinking we’ve got as big of games coming up at home Wednesday and Saturday. So, going to Louisville is tough, it’s a really difficult travel for us, so getting out there, getting used to the climate, I think, is going to be crucial. Last year, Louisville was a really difficult team for us to play against, they were one of the teams that we didn’t beat in the regular season, so we know we’ve got to go and put on a good performance there.”
On this being the league’s 1,000 regular season game:
“It obviously shows the longevity of the league. I think, for those of us who were in the league back in year one, I’m not sure we even knew if that was going to be the case, if we were going to get to 1,000 games. The fact that we are, just shows where the league is at, where the women’s game is at and thankfully, it’s just moving forward. So yeah, really excited.”
On the team approaching its 100th regular season win:
“For us, as a team, we’ve tried to consistently over the years be someone that is competitive, trying to go for the big titles in the league and when you do that, then you get to be able to have these milestones. What’s important to us is putting out a good performance against Louisville after what happened last year, I think that’s crucial and getting the win would just be icing on the cake.”
On treating the upcoming game against Louisville as a typical game:
“I think we’ve put ourselves in a really good position so far, we’ve had a great start. I think our away form has been OK and we know that Louisville is a tough place to go to, so we’re going to have to put on a good performance and hopefully, we come away with a win.”
Defender Alana Cook
On facing Racing Louisville FC on Saturday:
“I think, obviously we’ve had three games this past week to learn from and to look at film, kind of go on over the trends, things that we need to get better on, for us. So, we will do a lot of work, get in the film room, maybe give some people’s legs a little bit of a break coming off that past week. I think (Racing) Louisville (FC) is a team that gave us a lot of challenges last year, I think we had maybe a tie, win and loss throughout the season and throughout different competitions. They are an opponent that we really respect and someone we’re really going to have to prepare for, so we’ll take a look back at some of those games last year, look back at what we’re doing now and do our best to get ready.”
On playing in the 1,000th NWSL game:
“It would be, I guess, our club’s 100th regular season win and also the 1,000th regular season game for the league, as a whole. I think it’s just really exciting to know that the league has come that far and a testament to everything that has gone on, on the field and off – the stability of the league now. I think we’re obviously pushing to get more people investing and more people watching. I think the fact that we’ve hit 1,000 games is impressive. We always rely on the older players – (forward Megan Rapinoe) Pinoe, (defender) Lu (Barnes), (midfielder) Jess (Fishlock), (head coach) Laura (Harvey), people who have been in this league from the beginning. They’re a big reason why we’ve gotten to 1,000 and we’re hoping that, now, some of the mid-age and younger players can help push it to the next 1,000.”
On the club approaching its 100th win in the regular season:
“Again, to step into a club with the legacy that we have and the players that have built this club, we owe it to them, first and foremost. I think it’s just really exciting to have that opportunity to be able to push for that.”
On if there is any added pressure with the club approaching its 100th win:
“No extra pressure. I think any sort of added pressure like that is a privilege. Like I said, it makes us proud to be able to play for this club and to be able to play for an accomplishment like that.”
On if she has a message to the fans:
“We just want to say thank you to fans that have supported us this far. We’re really grateful for the support and we hope to see you at the next home game.”
Download here: Post-Training Press Conference • 4-24-23