Pre-Match Press Conference (at CHI) • Saturday, October 14, 2023

  

OL Reign Pre-Match Press Conference • Saturday, October 14, 2023 

  

Head Coach Laura Harvey and Goalkeeper Claudia Dickey 

 

 

Head Coach Laura Harvey 

  

On knowing a win gets the team in the playoffs and how the team is able to manage all the emotions: 

“Obviously, the ideal scenario is that you’re in the playoffs, but if you’re not in the playoffs yet, can you have it in your own hands is your second target and we have that, not necessarily down to us but down to what other people have done. So, I think the emotion around it is just that we want to get there. We’re not thinking about this being (forward Megan Rapinoe) Pinoe’s last anything, we’re thinking about it being an opportunity for us to get in the playoffs and that’s what we want. So, I would say, we haven’t spoken about anything to do with this being anything final because we don’t want it to be final. I think last week was a very good indication of who Pinoe is and what she’s meant to this club and this city. I think it says a lot about her impact on and off the field that so many people came out to that game. I think from a performance perspective, we actually did some good things, which was nice. Obviously, we wish we would’ve got the win. But yeah, in regard to tomorrow, honestly the emotional side of it, we haven’t really spoken about, it hasn’t been an issue at all this week. I think we all felt that Pinoe got what she deserved last Friday, in regard to that and tomorrow is about us getting where we want to go.” 

 

On if she has any health updates: 

“Everyone’s available.” 

 

On the team playing strong defensively: 

“I think we always pride ourselves on that, to be honest, but we know that we’ve got to score goals to win games. So, can we make sure that we give ourself a chance of doing that and if that’s the team that starts, if that’s the team that ends the game, we always pride ourselves on being defensively really hard to beat – it’s something that this team has always been that way, but we’ve got to put the ball in the back of the net to win a game, that’s reality. So, we showed last week – yeah, they had a couple of chances and obviously (Spirit forward) Trinity’s (Rodman) right at the end that (goalkeeper) Claudia (Dickey) made a fantastic save of, but we probably had momentum for more of that game than they did, but we didn’t punish them and that’s something that we’ve got to put right tomorrow or destiny of the playoffs is going to be out of our hands and we’re going to have to hope that other people do things, which I don’t even want to think about, so can we just make sure that we go out there and do our job and put the ball in the back of the net knowing that our mentality as a collective is always to be hard to beat defensively.” 

 

On goalkeeper Claudia Dickey’s recent performances: 

“I think for (goalkeeper) Claudia (Dickey) it was always going to be time. We had to pick when we made the choice, if we were going to make a choice, and I think probably three goals she conceded where I think she could’ve done better on – two of which were her coming out, but outside of that, it’s what we see every day. So, this wasn’t just a snapshot decision, we’ve seen her in training, we’ve seen her in games, we know what she’s capable of. Was it maybe a hard time to come in? Maybe, but I think it was the right time for her development and the right time for the team and I think if last week is a knock on her to show that she’s good enough, great, but we’ve always believed that.” 

 

On what they will do to prevent the Chicago Red Stars from scoring: 

“Obviously, we haven’t played them since April and even we beat them, 5-2, but you never felt like they were out of the game and I honestly think that’s always been a Chicago Red Stars thing, they’re very hardworking, blue-collar, really hard to break down, never-give-up mentality, they’ve always been that way, probably what I would say. If you were to write their DNA out, that would be the first thing I think everyone who has ever played against Chicago or played for them would say that about their team. So, I think because of that mentality, it enables them to stay in games and they have good players on their team. I think across the board, the parity across the league is obviously very, very close and I think that’s what’s enabled them to stay in it for as long as they did and they stay in every game even when they know they’re out of it.” 

 

On how the team is staying focused and maintaining a balance: 

“I think, honestly, regulating because I think what we’re trying to put on the field tomorrow is what we’ve been working at for a while. I don’t think we as a collective have been performing to our level, so it’s not that last week or the North Carolina game or whatever – you can keep going back through our games – we haven’t performed at the level that we feel we want to. So, we’ve never had that sort of, ‘Oh, we’re going to be OK,’ feeling, I don’t think. So, I don’t think it’s added any anxiety because I think we’ve been on this sort of train of, we want to keep pushing to be better, we want to keep pushing to be better and we’ve traveled. I don’t think (Spirit head coach) Mark’s (Parsons) traveling. So, I think we had a couple of days, which was needed after Pinoe’s stuff, then we could get back on the field and we could start to train again and then we have to get on a plane. So, getting on the plane, coming out to Chicago and training here today, couldn’t train on grass because it’s waterlogged everywhere. It was gale force winds at training, so you know, just normal NWSL match day minus one. So, I just think that, from an anxiety perspective, no, I don’t think we’ve felt that because we’ve constantly felt like we’re in a sequence of, what we’re putting out there, we don’t feel happy with, so we keep grinding to try and change that and that hasn’t changed, probably, since post-World Cup, to be honest.” 

 

On her thoughts on Decision Day: 

“I think it’s good. I mean, do I love the fact that we’re in it, like it really impacts us? No. But, do I think it’s good for the league? Yes. I mean, I think back to last year when we were going for the Shield, we knew before the game what we needed to do and honestly, that was the reason we won the game the way we did. So, is that fair? Maybe not. We all planned that we were going to make it so exciting that four people could get in and four could drop out and the Shield would be up for debate – we all spoke about that at the beginning of the season to make that be, so Decision Day got even more exciting. But, no, I think it’s good. I think it’s good for the league. I think it’s a way, obviously from England, it’s the way that a lot of that happens back home. So, I’m sure during the game, it’s going to be a very – a nail-biter for some, but I think for us, when your destiny is in your own hands, then you just need to focus on yourselves.”  

 

 

 

Goalkeeper Claudia Dickey 

  

On her thoughts ahead of the game against the Chicago Red Stars: 

“Overall thoughts, I think, it’s like we’ve realized this week how important it is and it’s obviously super exciting because it’s kind of similar to the Premier League where everybody is playing at the same time so you don’t really know ahead of time, so I think that kind of gives a little more excitement because it’s like, we have to go out and win, basically, and I think everybody knows that. At the end of last game, we knew information about some of the other games so it wasn’t like a dire need to go and score a goal or to give up a goal. So, I think this, just everybody’s attitude going into this is just win and give it everything we have.” 

 

On the Red Stars and their attack: 

“They have had a tough year. I think the injuries have hurt them a lot, but their attacking threats seem to pop up every game. I don’t know how many goals they’ve actually scored back-to-back, but I feel like they’re always up there. I think they always have many chances in games and you always see how good the finishers are. Also, since I’ve been playing in general, every team we’ve been playing against is so good going forward and I think that we’ve highlighted more defensive tactics and shape and everything more in training to try and counter that a little bit. So, I think our defense is incredible – yeah, we’ve conceded a few goals, but I think it’s just sticking together on this one, communicating a lot, watching a lot of film on what they like to do, tendencies and things like that and I think just going out there and fighting for each other and I think that’s been a good topic this week that we’ve talked about a lot.” 

 

On moving into the starting role and gaining experience from the Challenge Cup: 

“Last year, I had only played that one game. It’s very different, going into Challenge Cup, you know that the teams won’t start a lot of the national team players and everything. So, me going out there the first game, obviously was a little nervous, but once you start again, I think it’s just like riding a bike. So, obviously I was nervous, I was nervous every game for the Challenge Cup because they were so far apart so it’s weird to kind of get out of rhythm, but I think consistently now, I’m starting to feel more confident. Yeah, the first few games, I made a few mistakes, but I think that comes with more experience and learning and feeling what it’s like playing again because it’s been such a long time, but I think, yeah, it’s set me up well to succeed and help my teammates in any way. But I also think it comes from the backline and the forwards, they all gave me a lot of confidence and helped me believe in myself more. So, I think that, ultimately, made me feel better about going out there, especially in the regular season – I know Challenge Cup we say that it’s different and it kind of is, but regular season is a whole different ballgame and I think, without my teammates, I definitely would’ve felt a little bit more nervous.” 

 

On if this feels like a playoff match: 

“It is kind of like that, you’re watching it like a cup game and if you don’t win, you don’t make it. It’s kind of like (Racing) Louisville. I feel like we had a good attitude going into that, but it’s also like you know that tomorrow could be the last game, but it’s also still a chance to go out and play and I think that’s the most important thing for us. It doesn’t really feel like the season is over, but we want to do everything for each other at this point – we want to continue to play as long as we can. So, I think me, personally, I’m trying not to think about the loss and what that can be, I just want to go out there and kind of have fun with everybody in case it is the last game we have together.” 

 

On the vibe in the locker room over the last week and how the team is avoiding stress: 

“We had a couple days off this week and I think everybody kind of needed that. As I said before, it hasn’t really felt like a long year, but after that game [last week vs. the Washington Spirit], it was like, whoa, the past three games that we’ve played were just great teams, very stressful, needed to win, needed to get results. I think we had a few days off and I think everybody when we came back into training after those days off had a go-get-it attitude, go for it and everybody was positive. Yeah, everybody’s tired and it’s been a season – everybody has little injuries, but I think the vibe has been good, everybody wants to go out there and do well and I think we all are aware that it could be the last game, as well as all the other teams. So, I think we have to know that going in tomorrow, yeah, they’re not going to make playoffs, but they’re going to go out and want to win – what team doesn’t want to do that? So, I think it will be a good challenge and we haven’t played them in a long time, so it’ll be interesting, but I think we’re up for it and we’re ready for it.” 

 

Download here: Pre-Match Press Conference (at CHI) • Saturday, October 14, 2023