Pre-Match Press Conference Quotes • 3-25-23

 

Head Coach Laura Harvey and Defender Lauren Barnes

 

On how everyone is feeling about the season kicking off:

Laura Harvey: “Good. Yeah, I think excited to get started. It’s been a long preseason. It’s been a long preseason, but it’s been a good one. I think that, for us, obviously with keeping a lot of the main group from last year, it’s been about evolving who we are and making sure we can be unpredictable when we need to be but be really good at being who we want to be as well. I think the Portland tournament is always a good way to end preseason and see where you’re truly at, so I think we learned a lot about ourselves last week.”

 

Lauren Barnes: “Yeah, we’re ready to go, nine weeks is a long time and I think we got a little bit of a taste of the NWSL games with the Portland tournament. So, we’re excited.”

 

On the design of the Purpose Kit:

Lauren Barnes: “We want to be community-driven with this club and I think we’ve made really big strides to do that. The kit is a big picture of that. But yeah, I think our environment at the club – we want to express that somehow and I think these jerseys is a great way of doing that. We love the city; it’s been a big soccer city now and I think we’ve really put our stamp on that. I think giving back is something that’s really important to this club and that’s exactly what these jerseys are doing and I think that represents us really well.”

 

On expectations for the Spirit tomorrow:

Laura Harvey: “Yeah, I feel like the narrative around the Spirit is not accurate. I feel like everyone is saying that they are making changes that aren’t to win now. I don’t think that. I think they have made changes to do exactly what they think they need to do to win now. So, I don’t quite agree with the narrative that it’s this big rotational thing to have a future because I know one thing about (Spirit head coach) Mark (Parsons) – he knows how to win in this league and they have players on the field who can score goals, so I think that that’s what we expect. We expect a team that’s going to be hard to beat because they’re always a threat. They have players on the field that have proven that for a while now who can compete and be successful at this level. I think for us, they’ve been a team that we found it hard to beat. Since I’ve come back, we haven’t beaten them. So, I think that we know that we’ve maybe performed well in games against them, but we haven’t got the result that we want in any of those games, so I think our mentality is that we expect a really tough game out of them, with a coach who knows how to win in this league and we have to go out and get a result tomorrow. I think that’s the most important thing to us.”

 

On the attack of Washington Spirit:

Lauren Barnes: “I think their frontline is exciting for me to watch and watch them develop. They’ve got young talent – (Spirit forward Trinity) Rodman and (Spirit forward Ashley) Hatch have been doing really well in the league recently and with the national team, so you definitely have to respect that. It’s exciting, it’s something that you want to play against, you want to be against the best all the time and I think that’s what they have. They now have a lot of years underneath their belt, I think Hatch has been very consistent and Rodman is Rodman. I’m excited to see them out there and I know that they are a big threat but I think with our core group returning, it will be a really good matchup.”

 

On being an original player with her original team:

Lauren Barnes: “I think I wouldn’t want to play for any other club. The Reign has done so many things right that really has kept me coming back, especially [head coach Laura Harvey] and (Forward Megan Rapinoe) Pinoe and (midfielder) Jess (Fishlock), for sure, are big reasons that I come back and continue to play and really want to win the Championship. This group is special; we built something really unique within the U.S., as a club, in what we want to do and what we want to accomplish and I definitely want to be a part of that, especially after 11 years, something you don’t want to leave. It’s really special, people around us are so special. If you thought I was going to be here 11 years ago, I would probably say no [laughs]. The way the league started off, there has been huge improvements. There is definitely a life and an opportunity to make this like a lifestyle and a job, probably the last three or five years. So, that’s really promising for the next generations to come and it’s been really fun to be a part of that and build that.”

 

On midfielder Quinn and Rapinoe’s status:

Laura Harvey: “No real change from last week on that. I think we’re still day-to-day on (midfielder) Quinn and Pinoe and (midfielder Angelina) Ang is doing great on her rehab. I think she’s returning to some team training now, which is always nice when you get to that stage of rehab in her injury. So, excited about that and (midfielder) Luany arrives tomorrow. So, we’re excited to get her with the group and see what she can do.”

 

On starting the season with a long road trip:

Laura Harvey: “Yeah, I mean, we haven’t been home much lately, but I think that the good thing about the road trip is that we get two of our longest trips out the way in one, which is nice, and we have been together for nine weeks now, on and off, on different trips, so that adds to it. I think starting the season away from home is tough. I feel like we’ve done that a lot, lately. I think we were literally here a year ago. Our first regular season game was in Washington last year. We didn’t get the result we wanted and it was right in the middle of Challenge Cup and all that stuff. So, I think tomorrow is just a really good opportunity for us to show who we are right now and then obviously we showed last year that it’s important to try and get off to a good start, but brutally in this league, it’s always how you end. So, yes, starting is great, but I think we know that we’re going to have to make big progress throughout the year, no matter what happens in these next two games.”

 

On the challenges of a World Cup year:

Laura Harvey: “I think, honestly, not looking too far ahead of yourself. I think tomorrow’s the most important game and day for us because so many things happen. Obviously, we have a major tournament in the middle of the season, which is always difficult to manage, but so many things can happen before that. We have a lot of games prior to that. Then obviously we have to sort of manage that period. But, as I’ve said multiple times now, this year’s schedule is the best it’s ever been for a World Cup, so we’re happy about that. And then again, it’s always how you end. So, I think making sure we’re competitive, making sure we’re in and around it pre-World Cup, making sure we’re in and around it post-World Cup, so we can kick on at the end and prove who we really want to be. I think that’s always the most important thing, but not looking too far ahead, I think, is how you ultimately manage it.”

 

Lauren Barnes: “I also think that we had a really strong returning group from the whole roster. We didn’t make a lot of changes, so I think that gives us a lot of depth with years like this and the World Cup. That’s super important for really any team because it is long, it’s hard, lot of travel, lot of people coming in and out. So, at least having consistency in terms of the depth of the squad, I think is really important. [Harvey] has always done a good job with that, so I think, this year in particular, it’s probably where we have the most returning. So, I think that’s really beneficial in a World Cup year.”

 

On the roster for the Club America international friendly and if that’s something she can reflect on during the world cup:

Laura Harvey: “Yes, definitely on the Challenge Cup. The Challenge Cup this year for us will be utilized in that way. The Portland tournament was utilized in that way and the Club America game was utilized in that way. I think the fact that the Challenge Cup is put in midweek this year lends towards it being that way. I think that to expect the same starting eleven to play every minute of every game, three games a week throughout April and May is unrealistic. So, I think again, what the group is going to look like around the Challenge Cup will be potentially a reflection of what the group will look like during those World Cup periods.”

 

On defender Jimena Lopez going on loan:

Laura Harvey: “For (defender) Jimena (Lopez), she’s been on a development pathway and I think now it’s about getting games for her, consistently. We thought that this would be a really good opportunity to do that. We’re just thankful that we found somewhere that we believe has a similar identity to what we want to play and how we like things to be done so she can go and play games and compete at a good level. So, we’re excited for her to go and do that and yeah, wish her all the best and obviously keeping her within the family of the Reign, I think, is important for us in the long-term future.”

Download Quotes Here: Pre-Match Press Conference • 3-25-23