Jonathan Sirois
Q: I’ve never played professional soccer at this level, but when you come up against the Chicago Fire several months after the tough match in Chicago, which was like the end of a good start to the season, do you still think about it or have you completely forgotten about that match? Are you still thinking about it, or have you completely forgotten about that game?
JS: I think that as a professional athlete, and especially in the position I was in, I’m thinking about it now. I forgot about it for a good part of the season, but now that we’re at this stage, if I think about it again, we want to do things right and come out of it with a win.
Q: You have a 9% chance of making the playoffs if we rely on mathematical models or algorithms. What’s the general vibe in the dressing room about the last game of the season? Do we believe in it? Are we aware that 9% isn’t much, or do we believe in it 100% and everyone is really on the same side?
JS: I don’t think the number really matters now if, mathematically speaking, we’re still in the running and I think that’s all that matters to us right now. Everyone in the dressing room is in a good vibe. We’ve won a game and we’re coming off a draw in New England where we came back from two down. Now we’ve got two important home games, and whether it’s 9%, 10%, 2% or 30%, it doesn’t make any difference to us, because we know that if we win our next two games, we put ourselves in a better position. So that’s what we’re going to try to do, starting with tomorrow.
Q: We’ve heard that this year, you’ve been unlucky on tarmac departures, sometimes there were delays and sometimes, before super-important matches in Montreal, you had transport problems. How did it go this week for the return trip from New England?
JS: In terms of the plane, everything went well.
Q: How do you deal with the pressure in the dressing room now? Last year, you were in a similar situation where you were fighting for that playoff spot, how is it being managed right now in this group?
JS: I think the situations are a little different, in the sense that last year we had a mentality of trying not to lose. In the situation we’re in now, we know we have to get results and three points, so we have to score goals. I think that’s the mentality we can adopt in the matches to come, especially as we have two important home matches, starting tomorrow against Chicago. I’m sure that if we go forward with a lot of energy and aggression, as we did in the second half against New England, we can pick up some good results.
Q: Chicago is another direct opponent; how do you approach this match? They’re also a team that’s fighting with you in this series battle, how do you approach it?
JS: We know it’s a very big game, as much for us as for them and we know they’re not far behind in the race either. It’s a big game that could be decisive for their season as much as ours and we’re expecting a very intense and competitive match. I don’t think they’re going to give up until the very end. It’s up to us to be in control and not to lose our heads, no matter what the game throws at us, and then to find a way of getting out of there with three points.
Q: Was there something about the defense you saw in the second half that was a little different from what you saw in the first half last game? Or is there something you can build on what you saw in that game in the second half?
JS: I think it’s mainly in our duels and aggressiveness and then in the success of our defensive duels. I think that in the first half, we didn’t win enough duels, it was almost zero. In the second half, especially with certain changes, I’m thinking of Jaheele Marshall-Rutty, who’s just come into the game and then makes a 40-50 meter run in a defensive position to come and tackle the last player. Little actions like that, I think, give everyone a bit of an energy boost, and give a sign not only to the five defenders, but to the whole team that defensively we need to be more aggressive and that we’re not going to let anything get in our way, and I think we did very well in the second half.
George Campbell
Q: What did you do well as a team in the second half on Wednesday that you need to repeat tomorrow to hope to get a win?
GC: I think we just put an intensity in how we press, especially trying to release our wing backs and try to keep our forwards higher so we can win the ball higher and force them to make mistakes and to give us the ball back. I just think they got a little rattled and gave us the ball and we created some force and unforced errors and then we capitalized on it by going forward and putting pressure on them.
Q: What did you do badly in the first half that you need to avoid tomorrow?
GC: I think just letting them have the ball and sitting back and all 11 players on the field not really putting the intensity to win the ball back and try to press higher up the field. I think that’s the main thing especially at home where our field is smaller than New England’s. I think we should be able to put them under pressure at home, and with our fans behind us we should be able to keep the ball and dominate the game.
Q: In the second half, you had a long run that led to a foul and that changed the momentum a little bit with Tom Pearce scoring the goal, is that something that you’d like to do more in the next 4 or 5 games until the end the season? To be more involved offensively and create these chances?
GC: It’s not something that is really in the back of my mind, like consciously thinking that I want to do it. In a game, it might happen once or twice, or it might not happen. It’s kind of just a moment where you realize there’s space and I try to take my space. Honestly, the last touch wasn’t a great one, but I got fouled in that one in that case. It’s just game by game, I don’t really think about it, but if the space is there, I think it’s a good opportunity for whoever it is to get our team up the field.
Q: How are you guys handling the pressure right now in the in the room with 4 or 5 games left? It’s a tight battle for the playoffs just like last year around this time of the year.
GC: I think a lot of people know that MLS is weird, and it always comes down to the last two games. I think we’re all confident, especially based on the last two game’s results, which is a massive step up from a few games before that. Especially playing Chicago and San Jose at home, we’re confident and want to get six points, if possible, in the next two games and that’ll put us in a really good position.
Q: You have about one chance out of ten of making the playoffs mathematically this morning, what is the general vibe about the last games of the seasons in the locker room? Does everyone still believe in it?
GC: Yeah, I think that we had probably a 1% chance mathematically to tie last game, so I don’t think we listen to that too much.
Q: What is George Campbell doing differently right now compared to earlier games in the season to deserve so many minutes and to play this type of game?
GC: I think everyone tries to do their best in training and do their best to listen to what the coach wants and help the team, one of those ways is being healthy. I think just that and trying to work hard in training and focus on games is important. Obviously, everyone has ups and downs. My season hasn’t been perfect, but we’re all doing our best in the back line and in the full 11 on the field to deserve as many minutes as we can. At the end of the day, it’s also our personal careers, so I’m going to continue, whatever the case might be, to try to get as many minutes as possible.
Laurent Courtois
Q: I asked Jonathan and George how they handle the pressure of this series battle? They were there last year too with CF Montreal, personally, how are you handling it right now, emotionally and professionally? You were in MLS Next Pro before or you were winning titles or you were in the finals, how are you handling this playoff battle right now?
LC: No, I wouldn’t change the events of this year for anything in the world, this is what I wanted. That’s what I wanted, to get to know these moments and deal with them, and then you see a lot of things, the masks are down on a lot of levels, whether it’s on a lot of areas, so human or otherwise. So, I’m moving forward and learning and it’s going well. We’re learning, we’re progressing match by match, and we’re trying to limit the inconsistencies and things we know are in our control. Now, the first half was a little shaky on one aspect, but the guys showed that they’re in line with what they want to show lately. So, we’ll see: “One day at the time.”
Q: The last match you played against the Chicago Fire, way back in March, are there things you can take away from that match? Or is it too far away that you can’t necessarily go back to that match?
LC: We’ll check the weather forecast just in case, no, we’ve got a clear head, we’ve got no excuses, we’re “fresh”, we know what we don’t want to show, and we know how we can put ourselves in a good position, and then it’s a question of managing certain key moments. No, there’s nothing in particular, it was so far away, as you said, and we’re just repeating what we’re capable of doing in the positive, that’s all.
Q: I asked Jonathan and Georges what they thought about the 9% chance of making the playoffs being about one in ten or one in eleven, but they don’t give a damn about the odds, I imagine it’s the same for you?
LC: I’m so proud. Yeah, we’re all, individually and collectively, just trying to control what we can control about our performance and show that we’re on the same page and in line with the standards we want to have individually and collectively. The calculations will come later.
Q: To sum up quickly, we played a game on Wednesday, a game in two halves, a first half where things didn’t go so well, a second half where things went well. What would be one thing from the second half that we’d like to repeat? And what would be one thing from the first half that we want to avoid tomorrow?
LC: I thought our first line of pressure was a little hesitant and a little disconnected from our ability to find space and keep the ball. The energy and certainty we found in the second half, whether in defending or projecting ourselves forward. Now, there may have been technical errors or bad choices, but at least the collective and individual certainty of what we were trying to do was interesting.
Q: Victor Wanyama, who wasn’t in Foxboro on Wednesday and didn’t come in to preserve the lead on Saturday, was that 100% your initiative or was it a request on his part that you agreed to?
LC: No, it’s not a request on his part, it’s my choice.
Q: I’ve just got one last question about George Campbell, who made that surge that led to Tom Pearce’s goal. Is that the kind of defensive balance you’re talking about, or do players like that have to go forward without taking too many risks? How do you approach that? Do you want your defenders to push a bit more to help the attack like that?
LC: I think it was clear, but apparently, I didn’t succeed. But yes, it’s clearly something we’re looking to do. Having said that, there’s timing and precision in the decisions you make in those areas, and George has the profile and the tools to do it. He also made the pass to Nathan Saliba that allowed him to get into those areas. When you force it, or time it wrong, or make the wrong choices in those areas, that’s when it gets complicated, but in terms of intent, that’s clearly what we’re trying to do.
Q: In a playoff race like this at the end of the season, sometimes it’s nice to be able to count on veterans. We’ve got two of them: Joel Waterman, who came back from Team Canada with an injury, and of course Victor Wanyama. Will either of these two players be called upon to play tomorrow?
LC: Joel is eligible, that’s how we say it.
Q: And Victor?
LC: He’s eligible too.
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