Tom Pearce
TP: We’re in a good place for now. Picking up seven points out of nine and in one week is always a confidence boost. I think not just the results, but the performances were also good. I think we’re in a good place and ready for tomorrow.
Q: Did you see anything helping you get to that point? Has there been a moment perhaps?
TP: After the two defeats we had, I just think we got together as a group and as staff and as players and just had an honest conversation. We told ourselves that we need to turn things around and get our confidence back. We need to start enjoying football again and get together more as a team. Since that, we’ve done well in the games and training has been better and the confidence is higher. We got belief from the staff that if we keep playing our way and we keep doing well then, fingers crossed, we make the playoffs.
Q: The results were tough when you arrived with the two big defeats there. Do you have a sense of what changed between then and now? The team seems to be gelling more and seems to be more like the same line up every Saturday, is there something that you have seen that has changed since the last few results that we got?
TP: I wouldn’t say changed, I just think we’ve got more confidence, and we want to make the playoffs. We know we haven’t got many games to play now, so everyone’s fully focused on getting the three points each game. It might not be the best performance, but at the end of the day, if you get the three points, then that’s what matters.
Q: What have you brought to the team? If you look at yourself and what you’ve brought to the team sporting wise, but what is your character on the training pitch?
TP: On the pitch I’ve done well so far by contributing two goals and an assist which isn’t a bad return for a left back or left wing back. Then off the pitch, I just like to bring energy, confidence, good vibes and I’m more probably one more of the senior ones in the team so I’m also helping the younger lads if they need help.
Q: The team was caught by surprise by the last team in the East a few weeks ago here in Montreal by New England, how can you make sure as a team and as a professional athlete, that you don’t get played the same trick tomorrow against the last team in the West?
TP: I think we need to approach the game as we have been. Obviously that New England game at home wasn’t what anyone wanted, and it was a bad performance on our behalf, which we spoke about as a team. We’re playing tomorrow off the back of good results with a lot of confidence and probably a lot better tactically and everyone knowing how we can win the game.
Q: Have you had conversations with the gaffer to the effect of what you would need to do to be a more consistent presence in the starting 11? What would you have to add to your game?
TP: Since I’ve been here, I’ve started quite a lot of games. I think there’s two games we actually haven’t started and Raheem’s come in and he’s done well. It might be a bit of a rotation now till the end of the season, but whether I play or whether he plays, we want each other to do well and whenever I’m called upon, I’ll be ready.
Q: You’ve been a good addition to this team when it comes to set pieces like free kicks and corners, was it something you were used to doing back in England? How did you develop that skill over your career?
TP: When I first came, it was probably one of the first things I said was that I like to be on set pieces. I always practice them after training and done that since I was a young boy. I’ve done it all my life so it’s nothing new to me. I like to put it in the best positions for the other players and hopefully it ends in a goal as well.
Q: Did you enjoy the ice hockey this week?
TP: Yeah, it was good! It was something different. I didn’t really know what was going on, but it was a good match.
Q: It was only preseason, so I guess you’ll have other opportunities to go watch those games.
TP: Yeah, definitely, I’ve heard the league games are a lot better. That was only the preseason, but it was a good atmosphere so definitely I will be looking forward to watching a league game.
Bryce Duke
BD: I think it’s also the period it’s in. Coming to an end of a season and having a playoff push. Being in a streak now is crucial because it gives us momentum to go into those last four games that we have left and then hopefully get into the playoffs. I would just say with the timing of it, this seems kind of more important because of the position that we’re in this late in the season. The guys have done well and hopefully we can keep this streak going throughout the season.
Q: Can you describe what the Charlotte game did as far as the team morale is concerned?
BD: It raised the morale and gave us a boost of confidence to be able to beat a team that I think is top five in the Eastern Conference. Breaking that chain of poor performances or not getting the results that we could and then being able to kind of back that up and keep going and going. I think it shows a lot of resilience and determination within the squad to make a statement and try to get into the playoffs and do the most that we can.
Q: You and Caden Clark complement each other well right now, which might have been surprising to a few people considering that when he was acquired, he was playing pretty much the same position as you. What was your reaction when he came in? And how would you characterize your duo right now?
BD: Caden is a guy that I’ve known for quite some time because we played together at the Barcelona Academy for a little bit. He’s a good player, attacking, energetic, and does a lot of good things. Acquiring a player like that in the moment we were in, it’s beneficial with Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty as well. I mean, it’s all positive and then him coming in and having kind of an extra player to play with that almost has the same abilities and ideas as me helps from a personal and team standpoint. They have both been good additions and it’s kind of paying off.
Q: You got a surprise defeat by the last team in the East with the New England Revolution in Montreal a couple of weeks ago. How can you make sure that this doesn’t happen tomorrow against the last team, but in the West?
BD: I just stay focused. I’m not going in with the mentality that it’s going to be an easy game because I think we’ve all seen within this league that any team can beat any team, whether you’re the last place team playing the first-place team. Anything can happen, but just go in and realize that we’re at home. Attack, attack, attack, try and get goals and come out with the three points and keep moving forward.
Q: On Wednesday, Joe Sirois was telling us how he noticed that maybe the past week or past three games, how the communication was better between the attackers and the mids, the mids and the D, the D and himself over the last three games on the pitch, did you notice the same thing? And if so, what do you attribute it to?
BD: I think that everything was flowing. Communication is one thing, and I feel like everybody was on the same page, which we lacked sometimes during the season I mean, we did well these past three games that we’ve had, and we’ve gotten results. We’ve stuck into the game plan, and everything’s been going our way. Hopefully we can just keep that up and keep the communication going, because in reality, communication is key with everything. It connects your back line to your front line, the midfield connects between both, so communication just helps everybody
Q: We talked a lot about the CF Montreal right now but there will be two teams on the pitch tomorrow, what can you tell us about the San Jose Earthquakes? What kind of team or what kind of game do you expect tomorrow?
BD: I haven’t really watched much of them, to be honest. I just know that they’re having a tough season, so they could come out and try and prove a point, like any of those teams that are in the bottom of the league are so it could be up in the air. It could go both ways, so I guess we’ll have to just focus on ourselves, be prepared for the match and just see what happens.
Laurent Courtois
LC: Context is always important, and to have been able to bounce back, as the guys did after the setbacks we suffered, is very strong. Sometimes we do surprisingly disappointing things, when it’s all within our grasp, and sometimes they really amaze me with their resilience, quality and competitive spirit, so we’ve been alternating between the two a bit, but we hope to continue on the last wave.
Q: The win against Charlotte, how much did that win, the first in your tournament sequence, change the players’ general mindset?
LC: Let’s say it was the last one, because we know we can do it, so we reminded them again. That said, we showed solidarity and quality to equalize in New England, but our challenge is to repeat. We know we can do it occasionally against anyone, and at the time it was one of the best defenses in the League, and I imagine it still is, but it was really a strong competitor in the East. We challenge ourselves internally by saying; can you repeat and be consistent? It’s the hardest thing in soccer.
Q: On Wednesday, Jonathan was telling us how beneficial it had been for him specifically and for the team in general to have a stable back three in the last three games with Gabriele, George and Fernando. Now Joel is healthy and ready to come back, but from a general point of view, how do you manage the return of an important player like that when a team has done well in his absence? And in this particular case, how do you intend to reintegrate Joel into the team?
LC: It’s a good problem to have, stability in performance, and not because you’re forced to do it. Then to have options of important guys coming back to their best level and healthy, he will be an option like any other. You must bear in mind that we also have a quick turn around with Atlanta and Charlotte, both on the road and on turf. So, these are good problems to have and it’s up to me to manage them.
Q: You have the San Jose Earthquakes tomorrow, who are last in the West and the first team to be eliminated from MLS this year, but we all remember the visit of New England a few weeks ago, who were last in the East and came to surprise CF Montreal five nil at home. As a coach, how do you make sure that your players are ready to play that game from the very first minute, so that they don’t fall into the trap of this type of trap game?
LC: What we’ve done so far is to wake them up, inform them and warn them. Paradoxically, it’s when scenarios like these come up that we haven’t been good this year, even though we’ve managed to perform well against some of the League’s top teams. There’s a lot of quality in this team and they’ve got nothing to lose, so it’s very dangerous.
Q: Can we expect about the same line-up as the last two Saturdays?
LC: Yes
Q: Earlier this week, Jesse Marsh complemented Nathan Saliba in a press conference, saying that Mathieu’s departure allowed him to blossom on the field at CF Montreal. Did you feel that with Nathan Saliba too?
LC: It’s important that he feels the extent to which we want him to reach his full potential, without putting too much pressure on ourselves by trying to be the unblocker every time or force things, but more the facilitator. We often talked to him about the little things that we don’t see much of him doing, but that Sam Piette does, and what he can bring to his game and find a little security in his transmissions. We’ve also talked to Sam about what Nathan can do, and we’ve asked him to project himself a little further forward too. It’s important both to show his importance and his potential, and the areas for improvement to which he needs to keep paying attention.
Q: Was Mathieu Choinière’s departure somewhat consistent with the current sequence? Was it a distraction for the team? And has it helped the team now that he’s gone to be able to concentrate on the current challenge, which is to make the playoffs?
LC: Everyone knows how important Mathieu was for us, both in terms of his performances in the locker room and his joy of training, because he just loves to train, it’s infectious. I wouldn’t go as far as that, but in the end, there are the players, they want to seize their opportunity, and it’s not necessarily linked to Matthieu, it’s just that everyone wants to be seen at their best. We’re happy for Mathieu, because it’s the dream story of a player from the academy who comes from his own town, and that’s good for him, but we’re also looking to the future.
Q: We always like to talk about the players who play, but there are also those who don’t play. Sunusi Ibrahim, who is still the team’s top scorer, has been on the bench in the last four games and he hasn’t returned, he hasn’t had an MLS start since July 3 against NYCFC. What does Sunusi do or not do to earn your trust?
LC: There’s been a lot of improvement over the last few weeks in terms of intensity, running and, let’s say, the ability to combine with others. We need to find a little more continuity in his actions and not just one action and two rest periods, so there are a lot of qualities for a player who is still very young, but we expect a lot from him, and then there are some guys who are performing well at the moment.
Q: The offensive construction went a lot through the right side when Ruan was still here, I’m just curious to have your general appreciation of Jahkeele’s contribution since then, in the few games he’s had time to play, how is his integration and then his contribution to his position going?
LC: There are a lot of areas of improvement, particularly in his alignment, and we’ve all seen his ability to cover and make some pretty impressive return runs. He defends the space behind him better and he’s very good at going forward. He needs to find ways of connecting his crosses more and finishing his actions, but it’s very encouraging.
Q: When you can count on a seasoned veteran in Victor Wanyama with four games left in the season, what role do you see for a guy like him in a playoff race like this?
LC: To always guide the younger players and show in his approach to training and the trade the reasons why he has a different career from the others. Even if the coach doesn’t necessarily give him the playing time linked to his qualities and his career to continue to do what he does with us, which is a leader of for the youngsters and for the group. He does things differently and that’s why he’s had the career he’s had.
Q: In relation to Bryce Duke and Caden Clarke, a duo that’s working well for you at the moment, tell me a little about their midfield duo. At first, you’d think that Caden Clarke was going to come in and maybe put himself above Bryce in the midfield hierarchy, given that he was a new player we’d just acquired, and now the two are playing well together, so perhaps we should talk about this duo in attack for you?
LC: Around the nine, these positions are very demanding from an athletic point of view in terms of volume, mobility, repetition of actions and defensively, it’s also a position that’s very demanding. After that, they have that ability to repeat efforts and tactically to apply the game plan well. The difference at the moment, and this has been the theme of the season, is that Bryce is a little too sloppy, and he needs to learn to pace himself and secure the ball a little more. There are those key moments of forward assists or assists where he also needs to do better, but just their ability to repeat and be intense in their forward and backward efforts is already very important for us.
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