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USL Monterey Bay FC

Quote Sheet: MBFC 1-1 NM

July 3, 2022 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Monterey Bay FC News Release


Cardinale Stadium; Seaside, California

Saturday, July 2, 2022

Sporting Director & Head Coach Frank Yallop

On the match:

"Throughout the whole game I thought we played well for about five minutes in the first half, and dominated possession wise but didn't give up too many chances in that spell. But we didn't play well in the first half, I told them at half time. I loved the response from the guys after halftime. I thought that we certainly deserved a draw and could have swept a win out of it. New Mexico is a good team and they caught us on the brakes a few times. With the effort the guys put in in the second half it would have been nice to get the three points."

On the defensive effort:

"New Mexico is a possession-based team, and we are more of a breakaway-based team. They have a lot of players in the middle area. They want to possess the ball to create great chances. Our counteracting to that is to win it and try to break wide, which we did very well I thought most of the game. Most of our chances came from that, which was the game plan. Kind of cat and mouse. I don't mind giving up possession, but in the first half we were too passive, with closing movement off the ball. The second half was completely different, I think the guys really listened to halftime and they got together and decided they're really going to go after the game, and they did. They could have ended up winning the game. So real proud of the way they reacted to the halftime."

On the formation:

"Well, I mean we play with three across the top, and the system we play suits us. Adrian [Rebollar] in the pocket underneath gives us energy, fight, and drive, and Chase [Boone] obviously has great finishes, with another goal scored for him. Well-played game by Morey [Doner], and I thought Walmer [Martinez] had a great game tonight as well. Walmer and Morey made great plays together on the right side. I thought all around the night was a fair result."

On the midfield:

"New Mexico is outnumbering us in the midfield, so it was tough in there for Arun [Basuljevic] and Robbie [Crawford], we got two sitters and Adrian high, so we have four players in our central area. The game is cat and mouse. When they break from their spots it's great. New Mexico is going to possess it, they're a good side. They lost their last game before we played them, but they had won four straight matches before that. They're a good team and established in this league, whereas we are brand new. So, for us it's a good night, and our fans were great, driving us late into the game. It's sad that we didn't get that winning goal for them. We will be back in a couple weeks and hopefully we can get a win."

Goalkeeper Carlos Herrera

On his great saves giving the defense momentum:

"I think it was a weight off our shoulders, seeing that we can stay in games and that I can do my part to help the team to help us stay in games. If they would have gotten up on us it becomes a little bit of a battle more than it already was. I was just glad to do what I'm supposed to do."

On recent close results:

"To an extent. They're definitely just a little thought in the back of your head, telling you about that, but once we were able to weather the storm a little bit after they got their equalizer, we were in it. I think a tie is rough, but we will take it, it's not a loss, and at home, it's progress. The team is finding what works for us and finding our footing and hopefully we can build on this and keep improving going forward."

On playing a lot of the game on the defense:

"The period of the game when we're defending for two, three, four, five minutes, you can feel the pressure building, so I feel like a save, or any defensive stop, whether it's for me or for the defensive line or anyone who does it's like a little relief of the pressure, and it helps you get through the game. It's like a reset button I feel. You absorb the pressure, you get out of it, you can breathe again, and you can go forward."

On his distribution:

"I'm confident in my abilities to play the ball with my feet and try to find passes. If we're able to keep the ball, I want to try and do that. Obviously today there were times where I was off technically, messed up passes and poor decisions, but I go back and watch film and try to learn from those mistakes and improve because I can help the team keep the ball, rather than go up and create a 50/50, I'll try to do it (keep the ball), but I have to be smarter in picking my times to do it and that will come with learning and watching film and doing my homework."

Forward Jason Johnson

On his first thoughts:

"Overall, not a bad game. Definitely a step up from last week. Last week we got scored on in about a five-minute span. This week we had an early goal again and unfortunately, we were behind but the response from that second half was much better, so it was a step in the right direction for sure."

On the crowd's energy and the refs:

"The referee's get the most hate in this game, could have been right, could have been wrong but it's just a fighting spirit, you want everything to land on your side. Credit to the guys, especially in the second half I think we played a lot better longer spans of intensity and concentration. And once again from the crowd I really appreciate the reception that was very nice, I appreciate that. And going forward I hope to do a lot better."

On struggling to connect the final pass:

"We were just talking to Grant [Robinson] about that pass that he squared, and it went through three guys to Robbie [Crawford] who got a shot, but the keeper made a save I think some of it is the pass and I think some of it is the runners, so I think it's just something both of us have to keep working on in training sessions. I think most of the guys were on the bench today. It's one of the first games that we've had a full squad on the bench so that's a positive as well."

On the match:

"The dynamic is different because we scored in the second minute, so New Mexico is going to want to come back and put some pressure to try and get the ball. I think it was smart of us to sit in, be compact, and to pick the right moments to attack. Obviously when they scored the dynamic changed, in the second half it was back and forth. Throughout the second half we grew and grew into the game, so I think it's the dynamic the goals, they say they change games, so it had a big impact on the game."

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from July 3, 2022


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