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MLS Minnesota United FC

Rodriguez's Hat Trick Lifts Loons to thes Smifinals of the Open Cup

July 10, 2019 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Minnesota United FC News Release


SAINT PAUL, Minn. - In the Quarterfinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at Allianz Field on Wednesday night, Minnesota United met a New Mexico United squad with a reputation as giant killers. In just its first year in the USL Championship, the visitors had already knocked off MLS sides FC Dallas and Colorado Rapids on the way to this game, but the Loons would brook no upset on this night, putting up six goals to New Mexico's one and punching their ticket to the Semifinal - the furthest the team has ever advanced in the tournament.

"I just said to the boys, it was a strange evening I felt," said Head Coach Adrian Heath. "There was a bit of everything in the game. I thought at times we were really sloppy. I thought at times we were outstanding. I thought at times some of the combination play was as good as you'll see. Then we would have a five-minute spell where we would stop doing what we know we are good at. I thought the six [goals we scored] flattered us. I want to congratulate New Mexico. They've done incredibly well. Troy has got a really big future in the game. I thought that their support was fantastic. They'll be really disappointed probably with the score line but they can be proud of what they've done in this competition considering it's a first year club and Troy and his staff can take a great deal of credit for that and I think it's only onwards and upwards for them as a club."

With New Mexico United coming out in a 4-4-2 formation, it seemed as if Minnesota were most interested in the game's opening minutes in simply seeing what its opponent was all about. To that end, they seemed patient and content to let New Mexico throw its best punch, with the visitors pressing high and doing their best to win the ball back. Whenever they did, they would send the ball directly over the top to forward Devon Sandoval.

On their first corner kick of the game in the seventh minute, New Mexico got the opening they were looking for. After playing the ball short to the right wing, midfielder Chris Wehan sent the ball up top where forward Santiago Moar fired a shot that took a deflection and curved past Mannone into the left side of the net, giving the visitors an early 1-0 lead.

"We've watched probably their last four or five games and they've come up with some sort of trick plays and that was another one of them [the goal] but we've been through that," said Heath. "It's not like we hadn't seen that corner. That's the disappointing thing and that's what happens when you turn off for a split second and that's what happens at this level of football."

MNUFC certainly responded to the wake-up call. In the 10th minute, fullback Hassani Dotson received the ball on the right wing, then cut it back onto his left foot before centering it to forward Angelo Rodriguez who confidently headed it in to draw the home side level at 1-1.

That goal opened the floodgates for the Loons. Six minutes later, Rodriguez got the ball out ahead of the defense and held on to enough space to fire a right-footed shot that New Mexico goalkeeper Cody Mizell got a hand on, but the ball trickled out into the path of an onrushing Darwin Quintero. The midfielder would not be denied from point blank range and he easily finished it off to make it 2-1.

In the 19th minute, midfielder Jan Gregus cut off an attempted clearance from New Mexico's box and hit it back toward Rodriguez loitering at the top of the box. He turned and fired a left-footed shot that beat Mizell before settling in the back of the net, doubling the lead at 3-1.

"I thought that the turn and the shot in the bottom corner was an excellent finish," said Heath. "That'll do his confidence no harm. The good thing is when you get to that situation, it's a situation where you can bring him off. We've had a huge game on Wednesday and the fact that he played 60 rather than 90 makes a big, big difference. We managed to protect him a bit in Montreal as well so I'm sure he'll be firing on all cylinders come the weekend."

Following a handball by New Mexico right at the edge of their own box, Gregus set up for the free kick alongside Quintero. The two players have passed off free kick duties depending on the situation, but this time, it was Gregus ripping the free kick around the right side of the wall and bouncing it once just outside the mouth of goal before it pushed the lead even further to 4-1.

"Quality movement, quality pace, speed of play, speed of thought, clinical, passing to people in the right spots at the right time," said Heath about the onslaught of scoring. "My favorite saying: give it to people when they want it, not when you're finished with it and that's what we did."

At this point, the wind had all but gone out of New Mexico's sails, all their earlier energy gone and the players reduced to pinging the ball ahead whenever possible and looking over their shoulders as soon as they received it. Minnesota continued to generate chances as the first half wore on, but it looked as if the visitors might sneak into the locker room for a chance to regroup and reassess without suffering another blow. But in the 45th minute, Quintero got the ball on the right side, switched it onto his left foot and fired a quick shot that Mizell once again managed to deflect but not corral. Rodriguez was there to pounce on the rebound and complete his hat trick, sending the squads into the tunnel at 5-1.

The visitors began the second half with a pair of subs, sending in David Estrada and Josh Suggs for Daniel Bruce and Auston Yearwood. Minnesota came out with the same lineup, perhaps with an eye toward letting the starters give their best shot at locking down the lead for the next 15 to 20 minutes before bringing on subs.

The Loons nearly conceded a second goal following a corner kick in the 61st minute that led to quite the pileup in front of goal. New Mexico and Minnesota players jostled and collapsed for a few heartstopping seconds before the ball squirted out and up the field toward New Mexico's end with Quintero in hot pursuit. Quintero brought the ball all the way up the pitch down the right side, eventually sending it left and onto the waiting feet of midfielder Kevin Molino. Molino took a touch and drilled it at MIzell, who once again couldn't hang onto the ball. It rolled out to midfielder Miguel Ibarra who took his time and forced Mizell to dive before cutting left in front of goal and nestling it into the back of the net. It was Ibarra's first goal at Allianz Field and scored in front of the supporters, who responded ebulliently to Batman's first in the team's new home.

"It's good for him," said Heath. "He's put in a real good shift today and he's followed in and then he showed his composure. [It] would've been easy when you're desperate for a goal just to blast the ball. He went to play it and then just dummied it and let it roll. He'll be pleased with that."

From there, it was all over but the shouting, with Minnesota United confidently moving the ball all over the pitch while seeking out new seams without finding a seventh goal. As the clock counted up to 90 minutes, the referee indicated there would be no stoppage and the final whistle blew with the Loons the victors and headed for a Semifinal matchup on Wednesday, August 7 against the winner of the LAFC vs. Portland game.

"Some of my greatest memories in football have been wining cup competitions and now you're a couple of games away," said Heath. "Trust me, when you get to 50-odd years of age, you'll look back and remember these games. It might be a Semifinal or something so who knows. There's been a lot of great players who've never won anything. All of a sudden, you're a couple games from winning something. We didn't take the game lightly, that's why we put the team out that we did and now we advance."

Minnesota United's next game will have them messing with Texas as Western Conference foe FC Dallas comes to Allianz Field on Saturday, July 13. That game kicks off at 7:00 p.m. CT with pregame coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m. on FOX Sports North+, streaming on FOX Sports GO and on MNUFC Radio on SKOR North.

Lineups

Minnesota United FC Starting XI: GK Vito Mannone; D Hassani Dotson, Ike Opara, Michael Boxall, Chase Gasper (Eric Miller 64'); M Jan Gregus, Osvaldo Alonso, Kevin Molino, Miguel Ibarra, Darwin Quintero (Ethan Finlay 73'); F Angelo Rodriguez (Mason Toye 63')

MIN Unused Subs: GK Bobby Shuttleworth; D Brent Kallman; M Lawrence Olum, Rasmus Schuller

New Mexico United Starting XI: GK Cody Mizell; D Austin Yearwood (Josh Suggs HT), Ethen Sampson, Justin Schmidt, Sam Hamilton; M Daniel Bruce (David Estrada HT), Juan Guzman, Saalih Muhammad, Santi Moar; F Christopher Wehan (Ryan Williams 64'), Devon Sandoval

NM Unused Subs: GK Benjamin Beaury; D Manny Padilla, Rashid Tetteh; M Kenny Akamatsu

Game Events

Goals

7' - Moar (Wehan) - NM

10' - Rodriguez (Dotson) - MIN

16' - Quintero - MIN

18' - Rodriguez (Gregus) - MIN

23' - Gregus - MIN

45' - Rodriguez - MIN

62' - Ibarra - MIN

Discipline

54' - Wehan (YC) - NM

MINNESOTA UNITED QUOTES SHEET

HEAD COACH ADRIAN HEATH

On any frustrations of giving up an early goal...

"Yes. I just said to the boys, it was a strange evening I felt. There was a bit of everything in the game. I thought at times we were really sloppy. I thought at times we were outstanding. I thought at times some of the combination play was as good as you'll see. Then we would have a five-minute spell where we would stop doing what we know we are good at. I know it's difficult when you're winning the game 5-1 but you have to do what's right, what you think is right in that particular moment. At times, we turned the ball over too cheaply and the one thing I said to the guys before the game, you might have to be patient because they do possess the ball well. They're good at that. I thought the six [goals we scored] flattered us. Every time we broke I thought that we might have a chance at scoring apart from the final ball in the second half. We had three or four unbelievable opportunities to score more. I want to congratulate New Mexico. I think they've done incredibly well. [They're] really well coached. I think Troy has got a really big future in the game. I thought that their support was fantastic. They'll be really disappointed probably with the score line but they can be proud of what they've done in this competition considering it's a first year club and Troy and his staff can take a great deal of credit for that and I think it's only onwards and upwards for them as a club."

On if it's that good at the club that you can win 6-1 and still dissect things...

"Well, it is but at times we've been through this before. It's win and advance in the cup competitions. If it had been a scrappy 1-0 win and in two days' time, nobody looks at how you play, they just see that you've got through to the next round. So, it was a big score line and at times as I said, I thought that our attacking play was outstanding. As Troy said after the game, it's something that they haven't come up against in the past, that quality and speed of play and the speed of movement, speed of thought because at this stage, that's what more important."

On if he's worried about complacency translating over to MLS play...

"Trust me, let's hope it doesn't do Saturday because if we keep giving the ball away like that to Dallas, it will be a different story. They know that. I've played in games where it gets sloppy because you keep looking at the scoreboard and you think, hey, we're going to get through this. You think that the more you just take your time a bit but the more you make it more difficult for yourself. But it looks as though we've come through unscathed which is another of my concerns. I think we've just got everybody in the club fit now. I'm really, really pleased and now we've got to get ourselves home. Get ourselves prepared for a huge game on the weekend."

On if he has any preference on facing LA or Portland in the semi's...

"As long as we're at home, I'll be fine."

On scoring 4 times in 12 minutes...

"Yeah, quality movement, quality pace, speed of play, speed of thought, clinical, passing to people in the right spots at the right time. My favorite saying, give it to people when they want it, not when you finish with it and that's what we did."

On how big Miguel getting his first goal at Allianz was...

"It's good for him. He's put in a real good shift today and he's followed in and then he showed his composure. [It] would've been easy when you're desperate for a goal just to blast the ball. He went to play it and then just dummied it and let it roll. He'll be pleased with that."

On New Mexico's first goal...

"We've watched probably their last four or five games and they've come up with some sort of trick plays and that was another one of them [the goal] but we've been through that. It's not like we hadn't seen that corner. That's the disappointing thing and that's what happens when you turn off for a split second and that's what happens at this level of football."

On if there's a special switch that needs to be flipped at this level of a cup competition...

"Not really. I've just said to them that some of my greatest memories in football have been wining cup competitions and now you're a couple of games away. Trust me, when you get to 50 odd years of age, you'll look back and remember these games. It might be a semi-final or something so who knows. There's been a lot of great players who've never won anything. All of a sudden, you're a couple games from winning something. We didn't take the game lightly, that's why we put the team out that we did and now we advance."

On if Jan taking the free kick was a coach's decision...

"By the look of it, on the field, they decided it between themselves."

On if he initially thought that the goalkeeper was sure handed...

"We've got an awful lot of respect for their group. As I've said before, I've got great respect for what Troy's doing. I knew that any player that they had would be confident. They're a first year club and the team that they put together and the football that they play is an absolute credit to USL, to Troy and New Mexico."

On if any of what he has watched reminds him of his first days at Orlando...

"Well they play with a lot of confidence and I think that comes from the coach letting them express themselves. They play from the back and at times when it's really, really tight, they don't just clear their lines. They actually want to work it through the thirds and they do a bit of a different thing by pulling the full back's right in to try to get extra men in there. They've obviously thought long and hard about the way that they want to play and although the last couple of weeks has been a bit difficult for them, I fully expect them to be in the top at the end of the season and when the playoffs get round I'm sure they'll do very, very well."

On if anything stood out in Angelo's hat trick...

"I thought that the turn and the shot in the bottom corner was an excellent finish. That'll do his confidence no harm or good. The good thing is when you get to that situation, it's a situation where you can bring him off. We've had a huge game on Wednesday and the fact that he played 60 rather than 90 makes a big, big difference. We managed to protect him a bit in Montreal as well so I'm sure he'll be firing on all cylinders come the weekend."

On if he's feeling good with the congested slate and where the teams at right now...

"As I just said, the great thing is that everyone looks as if they've come through unscathed. We've got nobody injured at this point in time. It's a good little period for us considering the amount of games we've had in a short period of time. To be standing here saying that we have a clean bill of health is a huge bonus for everybody."

On how the team focuses for this weekend...

"We'll do what we've been doing. We'll try and prepare as best as we can for every game. We've actually probably put more into [preparations] for New Mexico then we thought because I know what these occasions can be. But it's a quick turnaround again. We've got a couple of days to show guys video, to show them what we think the strengths and weakness are of FC Dallas so it is a quick turnaround but we've worked hard, the staff has worked extremely hard away from the games to make sure that the players are prepared in the best way."

MINNESOTA UNITED FORWARD ANGELO RODRIGUEZ

On first hat trick with Minnesota United...

[SPA] "Obviamente contento porque de verdad uno como delantero siempre sueña con hacer goles y más como un hat trick pero lo que más rescato es que se pasó a otra ronda y bueno estamos más cerca de ese primer objetivo."

[ENG] "Obviously, very happy because as a forward, I always want to score goals, let alone a hat trick but what I take away from this is we move on to the next round and are one step closer to winning the tournament."

On what it would mean to win the US Open Cup this year...

[SPA] "Primero nos da un título, nos da un pase a creo 'Conca-Champion' y prestigio. No es fácil decir que fuiste campeón entonces creo que es importante ganar este torneo."

[ENG] "First, we would have a title, it would get us into the CONCACAF Champions League and it would guve us prestige. It's not easy to be a champion so it would be very important to us to win this tournament."

On coming off early knowing the next game is this upcoming Saturday...

[SPA] "El técnico nos dijo en el entre tiempo que tenemos un partido importante el sábado y, creo que siempre he dicho en las entrevistas, para mí lo más importante es la liga y obviamente tenemos un partido muy difícil el sábado y hay que ganarlo."

[ENG] "Coach talked about how importan tour upcoming match on Saturday was at halftime and, I've said in other interviews, what's more important for me is our league performance and obvsiouly we have a tough match (on Saturday) and we need to win it."

On winning a career trophy...

[SPA] "Si tengo tres títulos y quiero seguir ganando."

[ENG] "Yes, I've got three and I want to win more."

On confidence change from recent form...

[SPA] "Creo que en adelante estamos trabajando para eso. Ubo un tiempo donde no entraba el balón y creo que ahora todos estamos finitos, tantos los que jugamos, los que entran o los que jugaron en Montreal. Creo que todo eso es importante para lo mismo y eso no va ayudar para obtener tanto los playoffs y ojala ganar la copa."

[ENG] "Up top we've been working hard for that. There was a time when the ball wasn't finding the back of the net and now we're clicking, that starters, the subs, those who did work in Montreal. All of that is important and it's going to help us get to the playoffs and hopefully win the (Open Cup)."

On joking with Darwin on who will win the golden boot...

[SPA] "No me doy cuenta en eso pero siempre quiero marcar, yo quiero ser ambicioso en eso. A veces no me salen las cosas en eso pero trato de trabajar y bueno paso a paso y hay que pensar en Sábado."

[ENG] "I didn't know about that but I always try to score and am ambitious with it. Sometimes it doesn't happen but you work through that and what's happened, has happened and now we think on Saturday."

On having to score an equalizer...

[SPA] "Nos molesto porque fue unas de las cosas que hablamos en toda la semana, de que no nos quedemos dormido porque era un equipo que aprovechaba esas situaciones pero creo que el equipo estaba convencido lo que quería y logramos remontar y gracias a Dios fueron seis goles."

[ENG] "We were upset by the first goal because it was one of the things we talked about all week, not to start the game off slow because we knew (New Mexico) was a team that would take advanatge of those situations but as a team, we were focused on what we wanted to accomplish and we were able to come back and thank the Lord it was with six goals."

On being a game to remember from being a quarter final or hat trick...

[SPA] "Bueno ya es el pasado. Si estamos contentos, hice tres goles pero ya hay que pensar en el Sábado."

[ENG] "This game is already in the past. We're happy, I scored three goals but now we move on to Saturday."

MINNESOTA UNITED MIDFIELDER MIGUEL IBARRA

On how his first goal at Allianz Field feels ...

I've been waiting for it, so just getting out there, getting the goal, was amazing for me. It's been a couple games that I haven't scored, so coming back and getting on the scoresheet is big for me.

On if the hair change had anything to do with the goal drought ...

I think I'm going to keep it. I mean, we haven't lost. I obviously scored. So, it's going to keep going.

On if the goal drought was part of his decision to change it ...

Definitely. Something different.

On the counterattack, his run, his goal and the thought process behind all of it ...

Yeah, definitely. Just make sure I make a run forward. I saw Darwin [Quintero] had the ball and I know he plays it. The center back went with me and left [Kevin] Molino wide open. And I continued my run, in case the ball came back out to me.

On what advancing to the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup means to him and the team ...

It's big. We went in the tournament thinking nothing of it and now we're actually full of confidence thinking in mind that we can win this whole thing and lift up a trophy here on the lines.

On any preference between facing LAFC versus Portland ...

No. We know both teams are on fire right now, so it's going to be a good game between them and we need to be ready whichever team we get.

On if he's more comfortable playing on the right instead of the left since he's right footed ...

Yeah, definitely. Even though everybody keeps saying I only score with my left. Even though I'm playing on the right.

On if the team is ready for Dallas this Saturday ...

Yeah, we know they're right there on the table, too. So, I mean, that's another big, massive three points for us, if we can make sure we get three points. We're at home, so, our mentality is not to lose here.

On being up by so many points near the end of the game, but still hustling around the field and what that says about his work ethic ...

I think that's what I'm known for. Make sure I'm always running 90 minutes, 90+ minutes. I gotta make sure - since day one, since I first got here, that's what I was known for - I gotta continue doing it.

On how the legs are right now ...

Good. I just took an ice bath so I'm back to normal.

On what it says about the team right now that Adrian Heath was critical about a few things after the game even though the team won 6-1 ...

We know it was not one of our best games. We did go out there and perform and make sure we got the win, but there's little things we have to fix. And if we fix those things, we can be a really big, better team than we already are.

On what giving up the goal in the seventh minute did for the team ...

I think it just woke us up. I think that goal - it happened right away - and we, it woke us up. It made us say, there's no way we can lose this game. We got the goal right away, which helped us a lot.

On how the team feels to be able to advance to the semifinals...

[SPA] "Empazamos el torneo no pensando nada de el y ahora estamos en seminales y ahora tenemos en mente que podemos ganar todo."

[ENG] "We started this tournament, maybe, not thinking a whole lot of it but now we're in the semifinals and we've got it in our heads that we can win it all."

On if the team was worried that New Mexico scored first...

[SPA] "No, creo que metieron el gol y nos despertó. Nos dio la energía para que no podemos dejar asi, no podemos tomar este equipo como si no fuera de la MLS. Nos despertó y anotamos los seis goles."

[ENG] "No, when they scored, it woke us up. It gave us the jolt of energy because we couldn't leave it like that, we couldn't take this team as if they weren't in the MLS. It woke us up and we scored six goals."

NEW MEXICO UNITED HEAD COACH TROY LESESNE

On what was the major difference tonight that led to this result...

"I think when we look at tonight's match, the thing we'll have regrets about is making mistakes, and then not being able to transition to defense quick enough when we make those mistakes. When you play against a team like this with that potent of an attack, you can't do that. They punished us for it. Great players, great club, Minnesota United. They certainly deserved to move on to the semifinals of the Open Cup."

On what the range of emotions was when they went from being ahead to being down 4-1...

"It was the best six minutes in our Open Cup run, and then really the rest of the first half were some of our worst moments. Second half I was really proud of the group. I thought that we continued to try to improve and show character in what we're about to close this chapter and move on in league play now."

On what emotions are going through his mind after making it this far and then ending it on a note like this...

"When you talk about New Mexico, just as a state, I think part of our mission is to make it a state that isn't overlooked, make it a state that everyone can look to and say that there's something that's really good there and there's something that's really positive there. That's not just through the game of soccer, but look at what we're doing to activate our community. That's what we use this for in order to bring credibility to our club and to our state as a whole."

On if it would've helped to have Kevaughn [Frater] out there tonight...

"I mean certainly having Kev in the mix would've been helpful tonight. That said, I'm incredibly proud of the group. I think that any one of the players that we're missing is going to hurt us on the night, we have to have everybody, but I think the strength of our group is collective, so whenever we're missing a player it's going to hurt us."

On if being in a stadium like this in front of 12,000 fans against a team in great form really had an effect on them tonight...

"What I think we felt was that we make mistakes and that they have players that are going to punish you for it virtually every time. I don't think that they created a ton of chances on the night necessarily, it was just everyone they took from us ended up in the back of the net. That's what happens when you play against that kind of talented group."

On what's next for New Mexico...

"Gotta close the chapter on this tremendous run. As you talked about earlier, there was a lot of emotions in having to keep an eye on the league while also keeping an eye on this Open Cup run. Now we can put full focus on the league play and we just have to start to really hone in on what that is."

On what was the message to the guys following this match...

"I'm extremely proud of them, and they should hold their heads high. The belief and hope that we've enstowed in what New Mexico United is about and what New Mexico the state is about through this run is incredible. No one can ever take that away from us or them. I'm incredibly proud of the group."

NEW MEXICO UNITED FORWARD DEVON SANDOVAL

On how it felt making it to this point and being able to play against his hometown side...

"It was a great run for sure, I think we can hold our heads high. Obviously it wasn't the result we wanted, but the second half we came out fighting and I think we can take a lot from this game, going forward we can definitely learn a lot. I think the fans that came our were unbelievable. We're honored to play for them."

On how this puts New Mexico on the map...

"I mean this tournament is the biggest opportunity to play on the national scale. We beat two MLS sides, and like I said we can take a lot away from this tournament, and I think people noticed. I think we can hold our heads high, there's a lot we can take from this and take back to the league now."

On what the difference was tonight...

"They're a good team, there's no doubt about it. They have quality players that punished us on the counter. That first half, anytime they were on the break or had pressure, they had a chance and were clinical in front of the goal."

NEW MEXICO UNITED FORWARD SANTI MOAR

On the emotions after he scored the opening goal...

"I mean we started the game very intense, taking the initiative. We had two corner kicks, and either of the two could have ended with a goal, and I had the opportunity to score on the second corner kick on a great pass, and that was probably the best six minutes in the history of soccer in New Mexico. I wish it could've lasted a little longer, but Minnesota is a great team and responded very well. Credit to them, they have one of the best players in Darwin Quintero. He's just an amazing player. We tried to stay in the game for as long as possible, and this was just a tough result."

On what Minnesota's response of four goals was like...

"They were very clean. It felt like every chance they had, it was going in or a very solid chance. Every goal was feeling like a punch in the stomach at that point. We tried to establish our rhythm again and get on the ball, but it was very hard when you see a team like Minnesota. Everything that they create, they score. It was very frustrating on that side, but I know any other team in our league wishes they were in this stadium playing right now. The fans that came out here and the fans watching back in Albuquerque, I think it's amazing for everybody, so I think we need to take the good things out this."

On what it was like making it this far...

"We were taking it game by game. We have to remember that in the second round, we went to PK's in Phoenix and we could've been out of the tournament in the second round. We kept going, we played Colorado, we played Denver, we played FC Dallas, and I mean we were just taking it game by game and embracing every opportunity we were having. Today, it was the reality check. We are not in that league yet. We don't have the budget that they have. We don't have the stadium that they have. We have to enjoy being here right now. But obviously it wasn't what we wanted."

On how cool it was to have the fans there tonight...

"It's amazing. The feel this team as much as we do and as much as everybody in New Mexico does. It's great that we have them through thick and thin, and I know they'll be supporting throughout the rest of this season, and the royalty is clear. We went after the game to talk to them and they were appreciating our work on the field, and we were appreciating their support."

NEW MEXICO GOALKEEPER CODY MIZELL

On what happened out there tonight...

"I think it was just a slow start to the first half. I think they implemented their style very well. They have a quality team and a bunch of quality players, we started off with a goal and then I think we let them implement their style too much on us for the rest of the first half."

On if it was because they didn't push enough or pushed too much...

"It was so early on in the game that we wanted to continue to play New Mexico football, and I think they caught us a couple times. They're a counterattack team and they caught us. We knew they were going to do that going in. They have a bunch of quality players that finished almost every chance they had in the first half."

On what the range of emotions was like early on...

"Nothing like you'd expect. The whole first half we tried to implement our style of play, and we got broken down a few times and they exposed us."

On what it was like seeing the fans that came out tonight...

"Like I've said, unbelievable. From the first time I moved to New Mexico with my family, they've been nothing but supportive. It gives you chills seeing them when you come out for warmups. They're unbelievable and we can't say thank you enough to them."

On what is was like making it this far in the Open Cup in their first year as a club...

"Obviously it still stings right now, but when I look back at the end of the year, it's incredible. Every single game on the road, every single game, and we managed to make it this far as a brand new team. We've only been together for four months and we've beat two MLS clubs with millions and millions of dollars of players and personnel. It's something that helps us hold our heads high come the end of the year."

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