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USL Orange County SC

Blues Aim for "At Least One Win" from Road Trip

May 10, 2012 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Orange County SC News Release


FULLERTON, Calif. - After two meetings with the visiting Wilmington Hammerheads that saw the Blues earn four points despite not controlling play as they had in the pair of losses to the Rochester Rhinos, players and coaches this week worked feverishly on finding the right formula for a tough upcoming road trip. Head Coach Charlie Naimo's men travel to Ohio to take on the Dayton Dutch Lions on Friday, followed by a Saturday clash with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

"I thought we played pretty well against Rochester, but our style changed a little bit in the two Wilmington games and we didn't have as much control of the possession," center back Ebrima Jatta offered. "It was good to see that we were still able to get four points. In the end, the most important thing is that we find a way to get results. If we stick to our game plan against Dayton and Pittsburgh, I think we will do well."

Naimo confirmed his defender's observations and revealed that the coaching staff has drawn very specific conclusions.

"We probably need to be a little bit better with our possession than we were against Wilmington," he said. "While it was good that we generated some goals, the games were much more wide open than I'd like them to be. That said, we're introducing a different system this week that might be better suited against certain opponents.

"We'll see to what extent we'll be utilizing the new system in the games at Dayton and Pittsburgh, but having it at our disposal definitely makes us less predictable. The good thing is that we can always go back to the 4-1-4-1, which has proven to be a pretty good system for us defensively."

Friday's match at Dayton sees the Blues take on an opponent whose roster doesn't boast many stars, one of the better known players being Jamaican international Akeem Priestley, who donned the Blues jersey in 2011. Meanwhile, the Riverhounds feature a handful of recognizable names, including former Real Salt Lake striker Tino Nu�=B1ez.

Despite Dayton sitting in last place of the table with two points from four matches and Pittsburgh having dropped three straight, the numbers may well be deceiving.

The Dutch Lions only fell to the 4-0 Rochester Rhinos by a one-goal margin on April 28, and less than a week ago they had a 1-0 lead over the mighty Richmond Kickers until a David Bulow penalty kick tied things in stoppage time. The Pittsburgh Riverhounds already have a win over Dayton this year, and each of their three consecutive defeats came by a one-goal margin on the road and to some of the league's top teams in Charleston, Wilmington and Orlando City .

"Dayton and Pittsburgh are two tough places to play, and there really aren't any bad teams in this league," Charlie Naimo offered. "While Dayton may have lost some of the talent they had last year, they still have good players, one of them being Akeem (Priestley). But more importantly, they look to be a much more disciplined and better organized team. I hate that they haven't won a game, because it means they're desperate for points and there's a risk of underestimating them.

"Having to turn around to travel and play another good team the very next day is definitely tough. That's why I think the addition of (forward) Bright (Dike on load from the Portland Timbers) is so timely. He has the physical tools to help us in those kinds of situations, where we may be getting tired but have to keep battling and try to hit on the counter."

While agreeing with the Blues Head Coach's words of caution, defender Jatta was upbeat about his first pair of USL PRO road matches since joining the Fullerton-based club from Banjul Hawks FC in his native Gambia .

"On paper, we're probably favored in both games, but we have to take them seriously and be well prepared to have a shot at six points," he said. "The training sessions this week have been really good and everybody has been looking sharp, which makes me optimistic. We're all ready and excited for our first two away games in 2012."

Having a year of experience with the grueling back-to-back road fixtures under his belt, Naimo does not consider two wins a must.

"We have to get at least one win out of this trip, and I think it's reasonable to ask for four points from the two matches," he said. "Obviously I'd love to have six, but we need to factor in the travel and the fact that it's early in the season and we're still working to get better. This weekend we'll have another new player in Bright, and we're still looking to add more key pieces."

According to Jatta, his side already has the quality to be successful on the road.

"If somebody is injured or tired, we have a deep enough team that somebody can step up and do an equally good job," the 25-year-old offered. "Even with the travel and the jetlag, I think it's not unrealistic for us to get two wins."

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