Postgame Press Conference (vs. POR) • Sunday, August 6, 2023
OL REIGN vs. PORTLAND THORNS FC
POSTGAME QUOTES
Sunday, August 6, 2023 • Lumen Field • Seattle, WA
OL Reign Head Coach Laura Harvey
On her thoughts on the match:
“I thought again we were really defensively solid, didn’t give them a lot of opportunity. We had a few chances where if we just had a little bit more quality, we could’ve got a goal, but I think the biggest thing for me is we’ve played six games, we’ve been very purposeful with how we’ve rotated our team. Our group has the most parity across the four teams and we haven’t conceded a goal – I think that’s an exceptional stat. Now, we’ve gone two Challenge Cups to date, since I’ve been here, without losing a game. So, I think it just speaks volumes to the group that we’ve got.”
On not conceding a goal throughout the group stage:
“Everyone’s been exceptional. I think we’ve changed the back line every game. I mean every game we’ve played a different team, so we’ve been very purposeful with that. We want to expose players to what it’s like to play in this league. We want to see them in different positions, potentially. We want to see them in different partnerships and we’ve done it all, thrown it all at them and earlier in the Challenge Cup, it was often without a lot of training because they were midweek and they’ve all just stepped up, which shows the caliber of player that we have – their ability to be professional, take onboard tactical information and execute and I think they’ve done that really well.”
On bringing forward Elyse Bennett, defender Sam Hiatt and midfielder Olivia Van der Jagt at halftime:
“This period’s been different because, obviously, we haven’t had another game at the weekend type of scenario, so we wanted to continue to sort of mix it up a little bit and play players, like (forward Bethany) Balcer, who hasn’t had a ton of Challenge Cup minutes, give her some minutes but also then when we make the changes around it, bring someone on like (forward) Elyse (Bennett), who is a little bit different than Balcer but still really dynamic and gives us something different. Similar with (midfielder Olivia Van der Jagt) Olo, just to give her a little bit of a breather but also get her minutes and (defender Sam Hiatt) Sammy’s wasn’t planned to come on at half, but we felt with – (defender) Ryanne (Brown) had a little bit of a knock in training this week, so we sort of had to manage her a little bit, too. It was all sort of planned around – (defender Lauren Barnes) Lu’s was planned and the others were planned for 45 [minutes]. Sometimes plans go your way, sometimes they don’t, but today they did.”
On how the team will approach the Challenge Cup playoffs:
“It’s obviously challenging with the time scale that it sits in. We play on a Sunday and then we play straight away on the Wednesday and then we can’t host the final, so we won’t be here. So, it’s a really quick turnaround to go Sunday, Wednesday and hopefully, Saturday. So, we’re going to have to manage the group and I think the positive thing is we’ve done that throughout predominantly this journey because obviously priority for us is the regular season, we’re not going to shy away from that, but also, we want to win trophies. So, we want to put ourselves in a good position to be able to get points in the home game but also set ourselves up to be able to go and give the semifinal a really good go.”
OL Reign Defender Shae Holmes and Forward Tziarra King
On their thoughts on the match and securing the No. 1 overall seed in the Challenge Cup playoffs:
Tziarra King: “I think always coming into these games, we know exactly what we’re going to get – we’re going to get a good competition, we’re going to get a hard fought battle and I think we’re happy coming out of that with the result we got – clinched first seed in Challenge Cup, get to host at home and yeah, got the job done.”
Shae Holmes: “I think we go in knowing what we’re going to expect from Portland, so I think it was just a – let’s get it done match. I’m excited that we came out as the top seed and yeah, we’re excited to host the next game and have that. I think everyone did a good, hard battle tonight, especially towards the end because we knew we just needed that one point. Yeah, feeling good overall. So yeah, hard but good.”
On not conceding a goal throughout the group stage:
Shae Holmes: “I think it just comes from honestly using our whole roster, I think that’s been huge. I think no matter who we’ve put on the field, we’ve trusted to get the job done, whether goalkeeper, different backline lineups and then all the way to the forwards, just defending back and helping us out. So yeah, I just think in general it’s been top to bottom work effort and everyone’s been unreal on the field when they’ve had the opportunity to do what they’re needed and their role is, so it’s been executed great.”
On what the team could’ve done to score a goal:
Tziarra King: “I think, obviously, looking back on that, we had plenty of opportunities, we had chances. So, just looking back on how we can finish those, execute those better. It wasn’t lack of creating, so that’s good for us, it’s just how can we hone in on those final pieces to get them in the back of the net.”
On Dickey and Ivory and how they stepped up throughout the Challenge Cup:
Shae Holmes: “I think they’ve come in super prepared – every training, they’re working their butts off just as much as everyone else. I think they – watching every game from an outsider’s perspective, before they’re getting these chances in the Cup games, I think they’re taking every opportunity to learn from what (goalkeeper) Phallon (Tullis-Joyce) does, from what all of us do, they know the roles of everybody. So yeah, they’re fully prepared to step on that field and do that. I also have had the pleasure to play with both Claudia and Laurel in the U.S. youth camps, so I feel super comfortable having them back behind me. I think everyone trusts them, they’ve shown that they can keep the ball out of the net and they can show that they can come up in big moments for us. So, I think there’s nothing but trust and the preparedness from both ends, from us and them.”
Download here: Postgame Press Conference (vs. POR) • Sunday, August 6, 2023