ONEOK Field; Tulsa, Oklahoma
Wednesday, October 12, 2022
Sporting Director & Head Coach Frank Yallop
On the match:
“It was kind of deja vu, we did the same sort of thing in Vegas. We played very well, created a ton of chances in the first half, but came into the break at one nil down. It was a tough game; we held our own in the match. We played some good stuff, but we weren’t quite good enough in either box. They took their chances when they came along, and we couldn’t quite take our chances.”
On his substitutes:
“A lot of the guys that came on the field tonight have basically not played much. JJ [Johnson] has not played for probably eight weeks, Arun [Basuljevic] has been out for a while, he’s been subbed but hasn’t played many games. Adrian [Rebollar] as well. It’s never easy in that sort of scenario, but we held our own and I’m pleased with getting the guys on the field. There’s only one game left, which is frustrating. But we got through it, not a great result for the club but I was quite happy with the performance and the chances created.”
On the upcoming match against Rio Grande Valley FC (RGV):
“Just like any game we go into; we’re going to try to win it. We’ll pick a lineup to hopefully go in there and compete and get a good result in RGV. Every game we play in this division is hard and this will be no different. It’s another tough game against a Western Conference opponent on Saturday and we’ll just go in there and try to get three points if we can.”
Midfielder Arun Basuljevic
On entering the match as a substitute in the first half:
“That’s my job as a professional to always be ready. It has been a tough season for me, especially these past three or four months. The guys have been amazing and have played really well, I just tried to support them. In a game like today when one of our midfielders goes down early, it’s not ideal, but I just tried to be ready and do my thing when I came on and I thought it was OK. I’m just disappointed with the result.”
On the result:
“It was a tough game. I thought we created a ton of chances. I think the difference between us and them is that they finished their chances when they had them even though we have the same type of, if not better, chances than them. It’s something for us to work on moving forward, to be a bit more clinical. If we are a team that can put away our chances and bury teams, we are going to be really tough to beat moving forward.”
On being eliminated from the playoffs:
“It’s been a crazy week, an emotional week. This was a tough game for everybody to get up for. But the reality is that we get to play football for a living, and we don’t take that for granted. We love what we do and we have an amazing club that supports us. It’s really just a privilege to be here. Going into Saturday, we aren’t going to do ourselves or the club or the fans a disservice by not showing up and giving our all on. That’s all we can really do now, hopefully we get the three points.”
Midfielder Simon Dawkins
On tonight’s match:
“It was disappointing to lose the game, but I do think we have to look at ourselves and congratulate ourselves because we have done really well this season to come from the bottom of the table to where we ended up. We’ve done so well to even be talking about a playoff spot. We have to be delighted with how the season has turned out in the end, but we have to build on that next season and make the playoffs next year.”
On going into the final match of the season:
“It’s all about personal pride. I said it in the team talk earlier actually. It’s all about showing what you can do. Maybe some of the guys that didn’t play will get some more minutes, the guys who aren’t playing all the time at the moment, but just personal pride. End the season on a high and then take some well-deserved rest and come back next season.”
On wearing the captain’s armband in the match:
“It meant a lot to me because I have played with the gaffer for a few years now. Before in San Jose and now here. He’s seen me grow from a young kid to a young man. It’s good to have the armband and try to lead these boys, but they are leaders in their own right anyway. So, I am just here to try to shed my experience and help the guys whenever needed. It’s a shame we didn’t get the win, but I am really proud of the boys.”
