Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja
Opening statement
“We feel very proud and proud of the support that we received tonight from the fans and the energy that they bring. Today was another demonstration of the character of this group and I want to honor that responsibility and that desire to overcome. It’s not easy to score goals when the team doesn't look good. After it being 3-1, the team believed in the process and believed in the ways we can keep our mentality intact. We went for them, and we got them. It was very well deserved by the players. Once again, there are still a lot of things we need to get better at, but today it is a very good demonstration of character, and we are proud.”
On what was said to the players during the hydration break to get them back in the game
“[Columbus Crew] have a very good team and there is a clear idea on what the coach has brought to them, but they created some movements in the spaces that are difficult to control. We had some too and it was a battle of who can take advantage of those spaces and who can score clearly, then we had chances to equalize the game. The second half we modified a couple behaviors that we needed in the middle. But then, coming in on a disadvantage of 3-1 was deep, but in the [hydration] break we said we have 15 minutes and we're going give them what we have, and we can do it. We're not going to tie it, we're going to win it and I felt that energy from them. I felt that energy with the people who came from the bench that weren't [starters] to show me one more time that this group is a good team and it made us feel that we can keep going. [Columbus Crew is a] difficult rival and very good team and a lot of drama always against Columbus.”
On playing with confidence to be able to secure late wins
“Obviously, the joy that we have because of the result just makes it seem that we did a bunch of things that were very good. We were fearless to go at them. The boys felt with confidence to overload right and overload the left and sometimes we were man to man the back. That creates the spirit of competitiveness, that we are at home and we can beat you. It is our job to look at our reflection to see how we can reorganize a couple of things here and there. That courage and the bravery that we had during the game and thinking that we were losing and we're going to teach you that’s it’s encouraging for us.”
Orlando City SC Forward Ramiro Enrique
On what is going through his head after the game winning goal
“Just pure happiness. Happy to score the goals. First and foremost, happy for the three points. There are a lot of things going through my head right now. My family, my friends. Just very happy right now.”
On what it means to help the team win
“I think as a player, that is what you always want. No matter the amount of hard work you put in, the first objective always has to be to push the group further, to do whatever you can to help the group achieve the most they can and continue onward. Whether you are selected as a starter, on the bench, or even outside the group, you have to do whatever is in the best interest of the team, to continue pushing them further and towards more success. The first and only goal of the group is to win. I think as a player, being able to do that, is fantastic.”
On what he saw on the final goal
“As a striker, you always have to think that I have to stay in the play, that I have to be available. When the ball made its way to Tincho [Ojeda], I thought that I might have been in an offside position at that time. I stayed where I was and the rest of the play came to me and you just have to have that faith that as the ball is making its way, it’s going to find its way to you, and you have to be ready.”
Orlando City SC Midfielder Mauricio Pereyra
On the mentality of this team
“Yes, difficult to speak because of the emotions and probably there are many things to improve on, to work on. I think Columbus is a great team. They dominated us in the beginning of the first half and then after we saw that when we were pressing, they tried to play. For us it was difficult to press them but then after we showed personality, we showed desire and a winning mentality that we are having in the last 10 or 15 matches and the last month. I think we improved a lot and now we are having a winning mentality knowing that scoring the best means we can win the games.”
On what the team did differently in the second half
“Yeah, tactically the way that we were pressing was a bit different. We didn't change much, we just started to believe in ourselves. In the first 15 minutes they dominated the game and then after we conceded the goal, we started to believe in ourselves and we started to play our game and create chances and had the opportunity to score in the first half too. In the second half, the most important thing was that everybody can see the winning mentality and the desire to win.”
On what these recent wins mean to him
“It's important because it shows that the team is ready to play in playoffs, which is the most important when the playoff is coming, get us in a good position and in a good moment. And the best way that we can do that is try to keep working and keep believing in the work that we are doing during the whole year. But I trusted this team and, as I say when we lose many games and here at home in the beginning of the season, I trust and I die for this team because I'm really proud to be the captain of these guys.”
