Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines
Opening Statement
“Yeah, we want to win games at home, but it’s never a lack of effort. I think the effort was there today. I think there was a good response from last week’s disappointing result. We’re creating a lot of chances, but we’re getting punished for errors at the back. I think when you give teams an opportunity, like we have done in the last two games, they’ll punish us and they have done. We have to be more switched on, cut off the angles better and not allow teams any opportunities to get up in the game.”
On conceding goals first
"I think momentum is something major and it helps, of course, in the run of the game. We can't allow teams to get forward in the game. Obviously, goals change behaviors. It's been the reaction of going a goal down that's made us react and change our behaviors in that sense. When we do score the first goal throughout the last couple of years, we have gone on to win games. So, when a team like Denver comes to our environment, and they get up in the game, it gives them a foundation to get something out of it. We are going to reflect and review and find different ways to not allow ourselves to get behind in the game."
On Solai Washington's contributions and overall performance
"I think obviously context matters, as well. People may ask why she hasn't been playing more minutes. She had suffered a couple of minor injuries during preseason, so we have had to put ourselves in the position to build up her minutes. We felt at this point that 45 [minutes] was a good build up for her. I think it's important to know that. She's obviously direct, she's a pacey winger, she could play as an additional nine as well and she brought a lot of energy. That's kind of what we needed in the second half. Bring that energy, bring that directness, take players on, look to support Barbra [Banda] in the attack, and she certainly did that and made an impressive impact into the game. So, she's dipped her toes into the last two games, and now she needs to progress into being a really threatening player in this league."
Orlando Pride Defender Cori Dyke
Opening Statement
“Denver’s a great team, you know, it’s hard with an expansion team. We do a lot of scouting, we prepare for their personnel, but you never really know what you’re going to get. I think there were a lot of challenges that we faced that we needed to adjust to, but I’m really proud of the group, I think, for how we dealt with it. I thought we had a lot of energy tonight and created a lot of chances. Obviously, we really want the three points, so that’s always disappointing, but I think it’s a step in the right direction.”
On the first 30 minutes of the match
“I think it was just a little bit of figuring out, again, what Denver likes to do, and yeah, feeling them out a bit. I think we definitely could have come out a little bit stronger. I think it took us a little to find our stride and solve those problems, but I think we stayed in it and we did that. Then I think the game flipped, and we were on them for a good chunk of the game, and so I’m proud of the group for being resilient in that way and just grinding it out and staying in the game.”
On the team’s attack
“It’s awesome having Barbra [Banda] back. She’s been excellent, and I do think, you know, we’ve talked about this as a team that sometimes creating chances is one of the hardest things to do and we’re doing that. We’re creating all of the chances. So that’s step one, and we know we need to finish them, but I think it’s just continuing to have that belief in our attackers, belief in every single line. It’s a team game. It’s not on any one player and I think just continuing to get those reps in training and encouraging one another and believing that it’s going to click in these next few games. We’ve just got to keep that momentum.”
Orlando Pride Forward Summer Yates
Opening Statement
“I think it was good to build off our last game. I thought things went really well. I thought we dominated, and you know, it's just getting the last piece together, so I think just keep building on this and know we're going on the right track.”
On the performance
“I think like the first 10-15 minutes, yeah, I feel like they were a little bit on top of us, and I think that's something we need to work on. Just starting faster, but overall, in the rest of the first half, I felt like we really found our groove and we were really dominating towards the end of the first half like getting shots off, staying in their side of the half. I think things went well and then we carried that into the second half. I think the second half was a really good performance from the whole group.”
On playing against an expansion team
“I think it's fun to play a new team and players that we haven't seen before, and you know, former players that we do know, so it was cool just to like see how the game went and feel them out. I mean, we get to play them again, so it'll be cool to see how different they play, but I think we had a good performance tonight. I just hope we can build off of it for next week.”
