The Oakland Roots took a point in its Nil-Nil draw with San Diego Loyal on Saturday night, improving their record to 6-6-9. They are six points back of Tacoma Defiant ahead of their meeting on Wednesday at Las Positas.
The tie with San Diego's second-place team left more to be desired from both Jordan Ferrell and goalie Paul Blanchette.
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| Photo courtesy of Oakland Roots SC |
The irked feeling shared between coach and player is, honestly, a refreshing sight. It shows that the club has high expectations for itself despite playing a tough side, where grabbing a point is beneficial. I was reminded that Sacramento lost, meaning Oakland could've tied Republic on points with a win over Loyal.
Here's a full transcript of Saturday's interviews:
Initial reactions from the tie?
Jordan Ferrell: "The last time we played them, I thought we were bad and one of the worst games we played when we lost one-nothing and jumped out of position late. This time, I thought we were good and obviously, we were still missing a couple of players, but I think the result bodes well--this is one of the best teams in the West.
"They've been rolling over teams; this showed that we can hold strong defensively, and I would say we had the better chances of the day. I thought we managed their attack well."
Discuss the game plan and how it progressed:
Ferrell: "We haven't started a back three in a while, so that may have been shocking to them and it was something they weren't necessarily prepared for. Because of that, we were able to run the possession early. Once San Diego got a foothold, they started to get some good looks from distance. Loyal is a very controlling team, there was an area in that first half where they started controlling second balls and really control the middle of the park.
"We stood stronger in the second half. It was really back and forth, they had some chances from set-pieces and we had good opportunities as well. I think there was a PK shot on both sides, but fortunately, nothing like that decided it."
Roots had some chances in the final 20 minutes, what's your reaction?
Ferrell: "We picked them off a couple of times and had some good counter-attacks that if we were just a hair sharper and take the shot a little earlier, they are goals. That's tough because we're only walking away with a point, we should be getting three points at home.
"That's also a very different feeling from where we were a few months ago against them. It shows the progress that our team is making."
Things you want to work on over the final stretch?
Ferrell: "We've gotten better at not conceding bad goals. We were Santa Claus at the beginning of the season, then we got back to gift-giving in late July and early August. Now, we're not giving those away. Playing solid defense is something that can continue putting the team in a good situation.
"For us, we've got to put our chances away. For us, the progression is to put those opportunities away."
How satisfied are you with the defense?
Ferrell: "I thought they did great, Kai Greene, Emrah Klimenta and Max Ornstil did very well covering some top-level forwards. They did a really good job tracking their runs outside of a couple moments early in the game. Our wingback [Memo Diaz and Akeem O'Connor-Ward] had a big job to do tonight, they really did a great job."
The trio of Wal Fall, Matias Fissore and Jose Hernandez returned. Describe their impact:
Ferrell: "Jose came in tonight after Lindo got the start on Wednesday. We've got some very strong midfielders whether it is winning the ball, or quick passing in transition, and we did well tonight at playing through them at different points.
"I think that cohesion is paying off, not just in the midfield but defensive-line playing and trust in breaking pressure. That makes a big difference for us."
What is the status of Jeremy Bokila and Quincy Amarikwa?
Ferrell: "We've had a ton of games in very short succession, so there's always going to be some rotation. Especially with our older guys, they're not spring-chickens, right? We've got to make sure they freshen up and we saw some of the young guys do really well tonight. We've seen the younger players do well in these last couple of games.
"I spoke about that early on this season for guys like Ariel Mbumba to get time early on. And Johnny Rodriguez, a lot of people are like, 'Who is this kid?' He got injured in the training session before the first game and we're just happy to have him back. That allows us to rest players."
Elaborate on Johnny Rodriguez's impact since returning:
Ferrell: "He can play between the lines, run with the ball, get in behind, win headers against big guys; he has a lot of tools. He's obviously a young player and hasn't played many professional games, so there's things he still has to grow in. Tonight there was a couple of opportunities whether it was sending the ball across the face of goal or what-have-you, where more mature forwards like Quincy and Bokila may have finished.
"But he's a spark and he's challenging to play against. He creates good opportunities in and around the area and also does the defensive work."
Regarding Paul Blanchette's importance to the team:
Ferrell: "He's a monster. We traveled all the way to Tampa and back to Vegas, so like the other positions, we want to avoid players getting too tired. I've said all along, there's going to be some sort of rotation. But tonight, Paul knew there was going to be big set pieces and we needed that leadership against a good veteran team. I think he showed that.
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| Photo courtesy of Oakland Roots SC |
"Not just the saves that he made, but how he marshalled the line and how he controlled space in behind and those dangerous forwards. They are big-time saves."
Blanchette on his diving save at 30':
Blanchette: "It's something we worked on this week in training; watching crosses, getting set, and changing direction. It was a great header and somehow I saved it; pulled a joker out of the pocket."
What was the plan against San Diego's attack?
Blanchette: "We watch them play, and a lot of what they do is send crosses to the back or middle with a lot of bodies crashing. We were ready for it."
How pleased are you with the performance?
Blanchette: "I thought the full 90 was good. There were spells where we weren't great, but we found our way through it. We didn't give up too many opportunities, but I thought we could've taken the three points toward the end."
Your mindset after signing during the season:
Blanchette: "Just taking things one day at a time and try to improve every day you can. You go out there, and you never know when your opportunity to play can be taken away. You just have to fight and keep fighting."
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