Pre-Match Press Conference (at HOU) • Friday, June 16, 2023
OL Reign Pre-Match Press Conference • Friday, June 16, 2023
Head Coach Laura Harvey and Goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce
Head Coach Laura Harvey
On forward Megan Rapinoe and how she is doing:
“She’s doing OK. It’s probably something that will last a couple of weeks, but it’s not going to be a lengthy injury.”
On what kind of injury Rapinoe has:
“It’s in her calf.”
On if the heat changes her strategy for the match:
“Not really. I think, for us, it’s about getting points on the road. I think we’ve got to be pragmatic in that stance of trying to make sure that we get points on the road, I think that’s important for us. If that means we have to tweak and change the things that we do within the game due to the heat or anything else that impacts that, we’ve got to be prepared to do that. So, I wouldn’t say it’s very specific to this game, I would just say, on the road, we’ve got to start picking up some points and obviously tomorrow is the first opportunity for us to do that.”
On midfielder Jess Fishlock and if there is any timeline for her return:
“I don’t have a timeline on (midfielder) Jess (Fishlock). I think she’ll be back, maybe, before everyone leaves or probably just after. We’re being a little cautious with her because obviously we’re going to lose, hopefully, so many [players] to the World Cup. We don’t want to rush her back, so she’s doing OK and progressing well.”
On Houston getting in behind defenses and her approach to prevent that:
“It’s always the same with us, really, we always think prevention is better than cure, trying to stop it, trying to not let them have the opportunity to do that. Obviously, like you said, it’s going to be hot tomorrow, so that may be difficult to stop all the time, so if we’re not in a position to stop it, we’ve got to try and deal with it quickly in behind. We know that about them. Obviously, we’ve played them already and I thought we did a good job limiting their amount of opportunities that they had and we’ll have to do the same again tomorrow.”
Goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce
On how the team is preparing for the Houston Dash:
“Yes, it’s definitely toasty here in Houston than it is in Washington, at the moment. I think our players are handling it well. We just had our training session this morning and everyone kind of knows that it’s important to get these points and that’s really what we’re focused on and all other distractions such as the weather, that’s kind of in the backburner, but we’re just really looking to do our best on the field.”
On what threats Houston presents:
“Houston is definitely a very physical team. They have a great offense, especially with (Dash forward Diana) Ordóñez, with (Dash forward Ebony) Salmon, a great midfield, they do love to slip balls in behind our lines, go for those breakaways, as well as cut-back crosses, so those are the things that me and my defensive line are keeping in mind going into this game. Now, especially with the heat, that plays a factor into any type of long ball and having to chase those down, just knowing that we’ve just got to stay in it mentally. That also works with our communication, too, and just communicating with each other so that we all stick it through 90-plus minutes.”
On helping design her little brother’s suit for his prom:
“I had, honestly, tears in my eyes, especially the song that I put with [the video post], it was a Pink song and it just speaks to being so uniquely yourself and that just speaks to my brother so much. He is just a character through and through and I’m so proud to be his big sister. It was his prom, so my mom sent over a black suit and then all he said was that he wanted it to have peacock feathers all around it to emulate a peacock, so I just kind of created that image in my mind and set it out and luckily I have somebody that’s very, very good sewing. So, they were able to put the feathers on his chest area, the hat, his little pockets and he really worked it. He knows how to work a fit, I do not. He got those genetics. But yeah, he’s an amazing person, love him.”
Download here: Pre-Match Press Conference (at HOU) • Friday, June 16, 2023