Postgame Press Conference (vs. POR) • Saturday, June 3, 2023
OL REIGN vs. PORTLAND THORNS FC
POSTGAME QUOTES
Saturday, June 3, 2023 • Lumen Field • Washington, D.C.
OL Reign Head Coach Laura Harvey
On her thoughts from the match and why midfielder Jess Fishlock wasn’t available:
“Yeah, she picked up an injury and we thought she would be OK and then it was literally like last minute that she wasn’t ready to go. In regard to the game, goals change games. I think goals change games. We had chances, we had moments where we could’ve taken advantage of things and we didn’t and they did and that can be as tough as, especially games like this where – rivalry game, two top teams fighting it out, it can be the smallest of margins. I was disappointed with the first goal because it came off a throw-in, which is a pet peeve of mine. I thought the second goal, obviously, they got in behind us, but I thought we could’ve dealt with it a little bit earlier and we didn’t.”
On how she’ll prepare for the next match following this loss:
“I think after the Gotham game, we had a very open and heartfelt conversation about things. I don’t think we need that after this, I think we need to look at some specific details of things that didn’t quite go the way we needed them to go rather than it be a big delve in deep conversation because honestly, I think it’s the finer details of this game that we have to get right. So, obviously the players are disappointed and I hope that they are, but I think it’s a different feeling than the Gotham game, for me. I think we had chances, we made it difficult for them at times, which we didn’t do against Gotham, we made it very easy for them, so I just feel like it’s a bit of a different mindset after this defeat.”
On being the first coach in NWSL history to coach 200 regular-season games:
“It just means I’m old, honestly. Yeah, it doesn’t mean a lot after a loss, honestly. So, I’ve been lucky enough that I haven’t had too many, so I probably wouldn’t have 200 if I had. I feel very lucky and privileged to have had this opportunity and to have been around some of the top players in the world for the last 10 years. I say this all the time, it’s the most rewarding league to coach in, it’s also the most heartbreaking league to coach in, too. So, today’s one of those days, unfortunately.”
On the energy dwindling in the second half and what she thinks caused that:
“Tired. We were in San Diego 48 hours ago, so that’s probably the short answer of it. I think it’s tough, we’ve played every Challenge Cup game and had a Saturday game after it and that’s difficult. It’s not an excuse, but do I think that that may impact us late in games? There’s no question that it does. Obviously, Portland were at home, it’s a little bit different, they’ve only had to get on a bus and travel up here. So, I’m not making excuses, but I think that’s just reality of what it was.”
On what she is most proud of when she reflects on her 200-game milestone:
“I think creating something from nothing, really. You look out today – I don’t know how many fans stayed around, but to be able to play in this stadium in front of lots of people, we couldn’t probably have dreamed of that in year one. It was hard when I left the first time. It was really rewarding when I came back and the club is evolving daily. We’re pretty hard on ourselves because we always want to win and we feel like we have a team that can compete and do that. But yeah, I just think that fact that we literally started from zero and have been able to compete, even when I wasn’t here, at the higher end of this table predominantly throughout the whole time this club has been in existence is probably the most rewarding thing.”
OL Reign Forward Elyse Bennett and Defender Alana Cook
On her thoughts from the game:
Alana Cook: “I think, what we kind of said in our huddle is, at the end of the day, goals change games. We felt like we had a lot of momentum throughout, we had some good passages of play, but we’re not putting them in the back of the net, it’s always going to be hard to win. So, at the end of the day, we have to just get back to being one, hard to beat, hard to have other teams score on us and just having the quality in the final third, the composure in the final third to put teams away.”
On the atmosphere in the locker room after the game:
Elyse Bennett: “I feel like we just pick our heads up and we go again. I feel like this game is over and we can only focus on what’s ahead. So, it’s unfortunate that we lose this one, especially when it’s a rivalry and it’s a big game for us, just like any game in the league, but I feel like it’s one game and we’ve got plenty more to go in the rest of the season. So, we’re on to the next.”
On if she thinks the team deserved more out of this game:
Elyse Bennett: “I think it’s hard to say deserved. I feel like we need to just do better, personally, myself included, I feel like we’re creating the opportunities and I feel like we had multiple opportunities to score goals and like (defender) Alana (Cook) said, it just changes games. So, we need to put them in the back of the net and at the end of the day, Portland (Thorns FC) did, so they came away with what they deserved, I feel like.”
On if what strategies the team will adopt in the future to finish their opportunities to score:
Alana Cook: “I think we’ll just get back into training, get into training in those moments, keep putting pressure on them in training so that when we can get to the games, we’re ready to go. I don’t think it’s a strategy, I think it’s just kind of refocusing on those little details.”
Download here: Postgame Press Conference (vs. POR) • Saturday, June 3, 2023