Pre-Match Press Conference (at NC) • Saturday, May 13, 2023

Head Coach Laura Harvey and Defender Sofia Huerta

Head Coach Laura Harvey

On if she has an injury update for midfielder Rose Lavelle and midfielder Quinn:

“(Midfielder) Quinn is back. I don’t have any timeline on (midfielder) Rose (Lavelle). No, Rose [didn’t travel].”

On how she feels ahead of the match:

“I think it’s two teams that like to have the ball, like to possess. I think you have to decide with them what things you’re willing to allow them to do and what things you want to try and stop them to do because I don’t think you can try to stop them from doing everything. I think we just have to learn from a little bit of last year; I actually wasn’t on the trip last year, I had [COVID-19], so it’s my first time back in North Carolina for a while, actually. So, I think we had to dig in last year and three goals were scored pretty quickly in the game and then we had like a long 70 minutes, maybe, to try and hold on to this lead, so you know you’re going to have to do that here. Obviously, it’s our first trip on the east coast with hot and humid weather conditions, too, and that always can play a part. So, we’re mindful of that, but we want to make sure that we do the things we need to do to be able to try and get control of the game wherever possible.”

On all of the factors to consider going into the game:

“I think you have to think about all of those things. But I think for us, we have to remember what we’re good at and I think when we can get on the front foot defensively and high press, we’re at our best. So, we want to do that and it’s arguably, it’s hard but it’s not as hard as letting them have the ball and defending your own half 90 minutes – that’s way more hard work. So, we have to pick and choose our times to do what we want to do, but we know that we can’t be passive, we know we can’t drop off because it’s just not going to be beneficial to us to do that and then when we have the ball, we’ve got to be mindful of what we do with it to keep ourselves in a position where we can keep it as much as they want to keep it, so we can control the temper of the game a little bit.”

Defender Sofia Huerta

On how she is managing the season with the World Cup coming up:

“I think it’s the same that I would have said a month ago – for me, the player that I am on that team, I’m definitely a bubble player. So, for me, I do feel like the next month is definitely – someone said to me like a tryout and I was like, ‘Yeah, I guess if you want to say it like that, I guess I’m trying out to make the team’. I think the best thing is just to focus on the day to day because if you look too far ahead, it can get a little stressful or it can feel you know – just little outside factors can get in the way. But I’m just really focusing on the Reign because ultimately, if I do well on the Reign, then that’s probably my ticket to the World Cup. So, I’m just trying to do the best that I can in club and just try and stay positive. It can be difficult at times, of course, but it is what it is.”

On what the team is doing to score more often than last season:

“Last year, we had a lot of opportunities and didn’t put them away and I think we always said they’re eventually going to go in and they didn’t last year, so I think that’s why we’re scoring so much this year. Eventually, those opportunities were going to come and we’re going to score those goals, but it’s something we obviously focus on in training all the time. I think the coaching staff has put us in a good position to just have success and then on top of that, of course we’re doing crossing and finishing as well and we’re just focusing on getting the ball in the back of the net and it’s been working so far.”

On the Reign’s defense and if that makes her feel more comfortable going forward:

“I definitely feel comfortable. I mean, it’s hard being so high and then having to sprint all the way back, but I definitely have a lot of confidence in the team, especially our back line. They’ve proven game in and game out that they can keep a clean sheet and do what they need to do. So, I definitely feel comfortable getting higher, but I’m still a defender.”

On having a full week to prepare for the game:

“It fell so weird. When you have a game on Wednesday two weeks in a row, it’s like you don’t really have that much time to practice because a lot of it is just recovering and resting. So yeah, like you said, it’s been the first week in what seems like a while that we’ve actually had time to train, but we had to travel so then you think about that as well. But, (head coach) Laura (Harvey) gave us some off days this week just because I feel like she felt like we deserved it, with the hard schedule. It’s just interesting that we’ve already had two Challenge Cup games when some teams hadn’t even had one, I thought that was so odd, but we have a lot of experience on this team. I think everyone knows, at this point, how to take care of your body, especially when you have a three-game week, two weeks in a row. So, I think everyone feels good. We’re excited to play tomorrow – I don’t know how excited we are to play at 3 p.m. in North Carolina [laughs], but I think we’re excited for the opportunity tomorrow and to hopefully stay at the top of the table.”

On being first in the league through six games and what is helping their success:

“I think what [was] said earlier was that we’re scoring goals. Last year – I feel like, again, we were such a good team, but we weren’t scoring the goals. So, we started off pretty well this year, minus the first game versus Washington (Spirit), but I think we just, as a team, have really come together. I think over the last couple years, we’ve added pieces to the puzzle over the months – Laura came and then (defender) Alana (Cook) came, (midfielder) Rose (Lavelle), then (forward) Jordyn (Huitema). So, it’s just, finally, we’ve had enough time to get everyone together and just figure out each other’s tendencies, how we play – got a full, almost, year of us being together, so I think that plays a part into it as well.”

Download here: Pre-Match Press Conference (at NC) • Saturday, May 13, 2023