Samuel Piette
SP: I wasn’t there, I was at the Copa America, so I watched the match from a distance on my iPad with Mathieu Choiniere and Joël Waterman. We worked a lot on certain things we needed to work on. I was talking about the last Philly match where the score there was two-two, so it was a bit of a special match, we were given a red card and so were they and it was very interesting in terms of the state of mind. Then there were the matches I missed during the Copa America. They’re always good battles against Philly and right now, as you mentioned before, we’re in a good “head space” where the Leagues Cup is an opportunity to do a reset, not necessarily to start from scratch, far from it, but to see what wasn’t working so well before, put it behind us, work on it, and move on. That’s what we did, especially against San Luis. So, it’s a good time to build on that momentum, see how far we can go in this competition, and then keep up what we’re doing well for the last nine games we have left in MLS.
SP: Exactly, at the end of the day, a soccer season, whether it’s MLS, the Canadian Championship, or Leagues Cup, it’s still soccer, it’s still a 90-minute match. You have this opportunity to take the time, reanalyze, try different players in different positions, and try things in this new tournament. During the MLS season it’s difficult try new things and we had a chance in the last two League games and it’s worked well for us against San Luis at home. It remains to be seen what we’ll do tomorrow, but I think we’ll be able to cause Philly problems.
Q: I’d like to talk about the matchup in the two games against Philly. This year, there’s been animosity, a game that ended ten against ten, comebacks, games with goals very early in the game, goals very late, goals that were weird too. It seems to me that they’re the perfect opponents for this cup match.
SP: There’s some kind of rivalry between us and Philly. At least, that’s how I see it. It’s a team that plays a style of play that’s not very particular, but particular in the sense that what they do, they do very well. They always make for interesting matches and I can only speak for the match I was at, the one at Philly. I hope you’re not talking about my goal over there when you talk about weird goals. Otherwise, here at home it was a match with a lot of twists and turns. They’re a team that fights a lot and a physical team, which means that we must respond to that intensity. It’s specific to their style of play, so it’s always an interesting match, in terms of aggressiveness, the challenges, and as you mentioned, the red cards in that match in Philadelphia. I’d say that a kind of rivalry with Philly makes for some interesting matches and I think that’s going to be the case tomorrow, especially for a place in the next round of the Leagues’ Cup. We all want to move on. Philly is obviously having a slightly less interesting season than last year. It’s clear that they’re going to use this tournament to regroup and attack the final stretch of the season, a bit like us. We are two teams that are more or less in the same place, using this Leagues’ Cup to work on some advanced stuff, and above all to build confidence.
Q: I was listening to Jim Curtin at the press conference after the Cruz Azul match, and he was saying that if he had to choose, he’d prefer to face Mexican clubs in this competition, because it’s a new challenge for the players. I was wondering about you personally, maybe you can speak for your teammates too, would you rather face new clubs and see a bit of a new challenge, or is there some fun in seeing familiar opponents in a new context?
SP: It’s true that in terms of preparation, it’s perhaps “easier” when you play MLS clubs because you know what to expect. In terms of scouting, it’s also perhaps easier. We’ve played Philly twice already and tomorrow’s the third time, so we know the players and their style of play. I agree with their coach that facing teams you’ve never faced before adds to the excitement, the surprise of players you may know a little less about. A style of play that may be different from what you see here in MLS. It’s interesting to face teams like that, where you have that element of surprise. It’s up to you to adjust during the match to try and be as successful as possible. There are two sides to the coin: where it’s maybe easier in terms of preparation, but the surprise effect of the unknown is interesting as well. Then, like Cruz Azul for example, you can compare yourself with one of the best teams in the Mexican league, see where you are with your team and how they bring you different challenges that perhaps some MLS teams can’t bring you. You can see a different side to your own team when you play against teams you know less about.
Q: It’s never easy on the road in soccer, and it’s never easy on the road in MLS, but it seems like it’s an even bigger challenge this season because the club only has three road wins in all championships combined. What’s the key? What’s the strategy? What do we need to do to have the confidence to win a second one on the road in Philly?
SP: It’s been a while since we’ve gotten a result on the road, but I think we’ve already got more points abroad than we did last year, so that’s obviously a “positive”. The last result in Philly was two-two, where they took the lead, then we got that red card there and we were still able to come back, so it was still a good result despite the circumstances. But yes, it’s been a long time since we’ve picked up a win on the road and, as you mentioned, it’s quite difficult for several reasons, but we’re well prepared. We’re in a good moment where the group is very close-knit and we’ve got the whole group with us, almost all the players are available, so the internal competition is there. It means that everyone’s pushing to earn or deserve playing time, whether as a starter or a substitute, which raises the level of competition within the group. The Leagues Cup is a tournament that allows us to try out new things and build up confidence for the final stretch of the season. But we also know, and it’s no secret to anyone, that it’s a competition that can – obviously, we’re a long, long way from there now – but can help us qualify for the Champions League. Whether you like it or not, there’s also remuneration (players get paid more for each win) for these matches, which is an aspect that shouldn’t be overlooked either. It’s going to be interesting and difficult, but we also know that if the match ends in a draw, there’s a penalty shoot-out. I’m not saying we’re going to turn up there and park the bus, far from it, but I do think we’re capable of getting a result. We’re going to have to stick together, do the hard work, the “dirty work” as I like to say, especially against a team like Philly. A win tomorrow would be greatly appreciated because, as you mentioned, it’s been a long time since we’ve picked up a win on the road.
Laurent Courtois
Q: The challenge presented by Philadelphia so far, especially the last two clashes. How do you see this renewed rivalry being built with Philly?
LC: Philly is unique. We know how tough they are to play against. We know we’re going to have to be at our best to avoid putting Philly in a position to succeed. That said, we also know that we can hurt them and score goals. So, we know exactly what to expect, and we know that qualification is at stake, so it’s bound to be an exciting game.
Q: Given the context of the competition. Are expectations higher than usual? How do you set them in relation to the result you want the team to achieve?
LC: It’s always a bit special in the sense because we want to qualify already. You must be competitive and take that competitive approach while at the same time not deny how we want to play. We’ll go through the game and evolve, try things, always with this notion of not staying too comfortable. We’re always willing to take risks, and we’ll try to play with these three elements, and go for the qualifier.
Q: Regarding the composition of the team, because we’re going to be expecting some changes, are we still not unveiling the line-up in advance?
LC: It’s a bit early.
Q: In the two games against Philly this year, your team managed to overcome a one-two deficit to come away with a result. Is that something that inspires your confidence going into the third duel?
LC: I really liked the winning spirit and resilient mentality the lads showed, not only with ten men, but especially in the second half. In a difficult situation, they came up with some very interesting things, things that we value and hope to build on and make our identity. I really liked the way they went after the equalizers.
Q: A quick word about Rida Zouhir, who’s out on loan, can you tell us a bit more about him?
LC: Rida needed playing time that he didn’t necessarily have here. We all know his talent and I’m just happy for him that he can find a platform where he can express himself and show what he’s capable of. I wish him the best. This is his home, and he knows it, and yesterday he came to say goodbye and we all really appreciated it.
Q: Regarding Rida, what was missing for him to have the playing time here and give himself a chance within your squad?
LC: He has talent, but I was considered talented when I was young at Olympique Lyonnais. Sometimes when you grow up in your hometown with your friends and you want to do so well but things don’t go your way, you put yourself under a lot of pressure. I’m not saying it’s a similar thing, but sometimes you must accept that, unfortunately, not all the talent in the region will manage to emerge. Rida wanted to get more playing time here, but unfortunately it didn’t work out this time. There are also elements in terms of training habits that he needs to acquire, and he and I have clarified where we stand on that. I’m sure he deserved more time, but he must do something else and sometimes, as I told him, it’s a change of context that triggers you to find another version of yourself, and I think he needed a change of context to be able to express himself fully.
Q: I went to see some training sessions. Dawid Bugaj wasn’t there yesterday, and Ilias Iliadis wasn’t there the day before. Can you give us a reason for their absence?
LC: Yes, Bugaj has a cold, but he’s feeling much better today and will be able to train. As for Iliadis, we’re in discussions (for a move) and we preferred not to find ourselves in problems, so we didn’t think it was necessary for him to train yesterday.
Q: As for Josef Martinez, I saw him with the group at the very start of yesterday’s practice and then he didn’t take part in the rest of the session, but he didn’t seem hurt. Is there something wrong with Josef?
LC: No, we define a training framework so that we can expose our players to cardiac and muscular tension so that they can be as competitive as possible. We didn’t get that from Josef this week, so that means that afterwards the player can either under-perform or be at risk of injury. We just want to make sure that we can expose Josef to a load that will allow him to arrive at full fitness and not at risk of injury, and that’s why we modified the training session yesterday.
Bryce Duke
Q: Before asking about the matchup against the game against Philly, I want to ask you about Caden Clark. There’s been rumors going around since yesterday that he would be on his way to Montreal. You’ve played with him for a little while some years ago, what can you tell us about him as a player and what does he bring to this club?
BD: I can talk about when we played together as 17 or 18-year-olds in the Barcelona Academy, but It’s been a while since I’ve seen him play or been in touch with him. He has quality on the ball, works hard, energetic, and he’s fast which are all good qualities that you want in a player.
Q: Now about Philly, Samuel Piette was talking about a rivalry going on between you guys and them. How do you see this developing since the beginning of the season? What do you expect for tomorrow’s match?
BD: It’s a league cup game, a knockout game, so tensions are going to be high. We’ve played them twice already this year and we’ve done well. They’re a good and physical team and it’s a game where we got to go in there, especially being at their home, and come out and do our best and try and get the win. We must go out there and go to the next stage. It’s going to be exciting, and it should be fun for all of us.
Q: Personally, for you, if you could pick opponents in this League Cup, would you rather face Mexican teams or teams that you’re not familiar with? Or do you not mind facing a team with whom you’re more familiar, which is easier to prepare for?
BD: I think it would be both in terms of experience. It would be fun to play the Liga MX teams because you don’t get to play them that often unless you’re in the Champions League. I enjoy those kinds of games, where they get chippy, but, like you said, also where you play MLS teams that you know the tendencies and you know how they are, could play a positive factor in getting far into the tournament. I guess it’s a little bit of both for me.
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