Atlanta United 2, Nashville: What was said

“I’m delighted. I’m delighted with the response from the players. You’re never sure what’s going to happen until the ball starts rolling. We saw a great response in training, and they carried that on tonight. Their work rate tonight was amazing, considering Nashville has already played two games in the last couple of weeks. I’m really pleased the lads got the reward for the fitness and work rate they put in tonight.”

On the shape and playing quicker:

“I think at times tonight, delighted. Obviously, there was a little bit of rustiness in playing. We are trying to be expansive, there will be mistakes when you play like that. But what’s most important is the response to when you give the ball away. We were difficult to play against. When Nashville had the ball, it was difficult for them to play through us and we were able to get the ball back. The times that we did cut through them, I can think of one in the first half that started with Brad Guzan in the back, that’s the type of team we want to be. So, I’m delighted overall.”

On what he saw from Matheus Rossetto tonight:

“He played a great role for the team. He started in a three-man midfield tonight. In the start of the second half we moved him out a bit wider, to help get Pity (Martinez) more central. I didn’t feel that was working, it didn’t look right, so we were flexible and we moved it again. Matheus shifted across to the right when Mo Adams came on. Rosetto played three positions and did them all very well. We know he’s fantastic on the ball.”

On where the team can improve before the next match:

“I think a lot of it is going to come with time. It’s the first game. They’ve been itching to play against another team. They’ve been playing against each other for three weeks. There is difficulty with that, switching the teams to keep the whole group fit and sharp. I think naturally they will get better at keeping the ball, and moving it even quicker. As a natural fitness and game feel comes back, we will be better on the ball. But when you score a couple of goals and don’t let one in, there is some level of success in that. We are pleased, but we know there is still work to be put in.”

On Pity Martinez, scoring twice tonight and his performance:

“I think he was brilliant. First half there was a little rust, like the whole group had. His work rate from start to finish was unbelievable, especially in the second half. I think if he’s not working, he doesn’t score that second goal. He scored two big goals, he worked really hard, especially defensively tonight, I think he will be delighted with his performance tonight and hopefully ready to go Wednesday night with a similar type performance.”

On injury updates for Barco and Meza:

“I haven’t spoken to Fernando Meza yet. Obviously, he got a knock at the end of the half and had to come off. Miles Robinson was ready and stepped right in for Fernando. As for Ezequiel Barco, he received a knock in training yesterday and with so many games in a short time period coming up, we felt it was better to protect him. He’s going to be an important player for us the rest of the season, so there is no point in gambling on guys at this stage.”

On Miles Robinson coming in and if it changed any communication in second half:

“Not too much to be honest. Miles is very good center half. He’s quick, he’s strong. You don’t want to change things if you don’t have to. We had a look there at the end of the half with about a minute to go, and you only get three moments to make a change, we didn’t want to burn one of them in the last minute of half. Fernando Meza did great to stay on that final minute and stay strong, and it gave us the chance to make the change at half. That proved quite valuable later in the match, so the coaching staff did a great job to think quickly on that. We didn’t just want to burn a “sub moment” and leave yourself without that chance in the second half.”

On what he thought about the crowd noise being pumped into stadium:

“I thought it worked really good tonight. We did it in training earlier this week, so the lads knew what was coming. It’s a great way of us feeling like the fans are there. They are a huge driving force for the whole club and for the team. To me the biggest disappointment tonight was that our Fans were not able to be in the stands. When that second goal goes in, I think the roof would have come off. Hopefully, when they are allowed back in we will feel that excitement for real.”

Atlanta United midfielder Pity Martínez

On his comments about not defending the shirt properly in Orlando and the different attitude of the team tonight. What’s it due to?

“I said it because it was like that. I felt that and said it Thursday. Tonight we showed a completely different face. We’re very happy. This is the path. We have to keep learning. We have to keep working to be better. Today we showed character and for us that was very important.”

On his two goals and how they fit into the team’s play

“They were two nice goals. The first one was a great pass from Eric. Eric had a great performance and he’s been training very well and showed it. He has a great long pass and found a space that opened up, and after the control was good, the cut also, and then the finish. On the second goal you saw some of the work that we’ve been doing as a team, the counter attack, we were precise and I think the goal was very nice. I’ll take away my own performance and the team’s total performance. The attitude of the team. That you saw what we worked during the week and that’s the most important, to show what we’ve been training and keep improving.”

On his thoughts on his role and how he was used in the team

“Obviously. I feel comfortable. I played their various times under the previous coach also. It’s the first game that we were able to turn around the poor performance in Orlando so we can’t relax. It was a great game and a great attitude shown by the team and we have to stay on that path and not get confused and keep working, which is the most important. And then about my position, the team will feel comfortable if I’m doing well. We have to keep working hard during the week for what’s coming.”

His thoughts on the game and what changed since Orlando

“The attitude and will that we showed. I said it Thursday, we had a very bad performance in Orlando. No will. Obviously, without fans and not having that nice pressure that we get from our fans makes it difficult but there are no excuses. We were very bad in Orlando and needed to change our image. Whoever is the coach. This is for us. It’s for the fans. That they always support us. As I said Thursday, we had to change the attitude. With that, the team will have enough with the quality of players that we have. It was that, the attitude, and wanting to win, and today we showed it.”

Goalkeeper Brad Guzan

On communication within the team:

“When I said the communication was there, it wasn’t just talking to talk and being able to talk on the field and that sort of thing. It was talking about sequences and plays that happened in scrimmages and training. Tonight, I think you saw, especially that there were times when we had excellent sequence of play and build up from back to front. Of course, it wasn’t perfect for the entire game, but we knew it wasn’t going to be. We knew there were going to be times when we had to react in a positive way to put out some fires and defend. Nashville is entitled to have the ball as well. We need to be a bit cleaner with the ball, myself included, and that is going to come. When I talked about the communication a couple day ago, I think you can look at the spacing of players, the roles of players, the expectation of where players are going to be and that is down to the communication and the training habits that we have been working on for the last three weeks. I just watched the first goal back, the first touch from Pity [Martinez] is fantastic. And then he obviously, with a bit of magic, goes and puts it in the back of the net. These are little things that will ultimately make a big difference. Tonight is one step in the right direction. We know we have to get better. It wasn’t perfect, but it was certainly a positive night for us.”

On playing in an empty stadium

“It certainly had a strange feeling to it. We missed our fans tremendously. They know what they mean to us, we certainly know what they mean to us. To be in this stadium and not have that, it has never happened. So, when it has happened for the first time, it was certainly different. But, we know that they are with us from start to finish and hopefully it won’t be too long when we are able to have them back cheering us on in person.”

On keeping a compact shape

“It comes down to discipline. It comes down to guys trusting what we are doing, trusting what we have been working on in training, trusting what Glassy and his staff are giving us, believing in each other to be confident to play out of tight situations and then ultimately being able to attack. I think there were a handful of times, especially down George Bello’s side where we started the play on the right side of the pitch, next thing you know we are springing a pass to George Bello that is either running towards the box or running into their box. Getting a cross off or a pass or whatever it may be. Those type of sequences, those are things that we are hopefully going to get more of.”

On Eric Remedi

“What we are asking of our six, whether we are playing with one or two, for him to be able to dictate the tempo of the game at times, to drop in between the two center backs, get the ball, keep the ball, taking over. Then ultimately you see his quality for the first goal, with the ball to Pity. I thought he was tremendous. It is not the most glorious work that he had to put in, but it’s a hard shift, it is hard work to drop in, to push up, to squeeze up the field and it is not always easy but tonight he was fantastic.”

On the importance of getting a result

“It was huge. We talked about it before the game. Nothing less than three points was going to be good enough coming into the locker room after 90 minutes. We knew it was going to be a hard game. There are no easy games in this league. We knew we had to be on the front foot, we knew we had to try and get the first goal. And as they say, goals change games. But to be able get the first goal, to then be disciplined and not get careless and reckless and still trying to play how we want to play and defend a one-nil lead for most of the second half until ultimately, he seals it with a second goal. That part was encouraging for me. You have seen, at times, us be a bit vulnerable whether we score first, whether it is nil-nil and we concede, so to be able to defend a one-nil lead, that in of itself is progress. We have to make sure that we continue to build on this and continue to move in a positive direction.”

On the team’s work rate

“We want to be a team that is in your face, high-pressing, high-tempo and an exciting team to watch for our fans. With that comes hard work. You don’t get to turn up on a matchday and think that you are going to do it. You have to put the work in training day in and day out to make sure we are as fit as possible, to make sure that if somebody goes down, the next guy steps up and he carries on, the level doesn’t drop. Tonight, we showed that. It wasn’t great in terms of on the ball at times, but the one thing that we can control is our work rate and our commitment and our togetherness. Those are things that we can control. And I think that you saw that. You certainly saw that in the locker room after the game. It is a good feeling to win games and we are a club that is used to winning games and we haven’t had that feeling for quite some time. Albeit the circumstances that we all find ourselves in, but we certainly didn’t have that in Orlando. So, now to get back to having that feeling, that is a good feeling to have.”

On the growth of Bello, Walkes, younger players in general

“I said to George after the game this is the type of performance he needs to build on. The thing with George, we know he’s athletic, we know he’s got the ability, he’s got the talent, but he needs to develop the understanding of the game and how to manage certain situations that he sees in a game. Tonight was close to a complete performance for him. I was extremely pleased for him because there have been times in training when he does something unbelievable, and he’s fantastic, and then the next day, it’s not that. Being able to see the performance from him tonight – from start to finish – was tremendous.

And the same for Anton. Being able to come back to this club, the first couple of months not finding a whole lot of minutes, but then to step in as a left center back who is right-footed. It takes some guts, because you have to be brave. You have to be willing to have the ball at your feet and find passes – so that part was excellent for him. He’s somebody who has learned a lot, from that first year he was here until now; he’s matured a player, he’s matured as a person. Extremely pleased for the two of them.

NASHVILLE HEAD COACH GARY SMITH

On tonight’s performance

“Well first of all I’m certain that the two-nil score line doesn’t reflect the way the game unfolded. The stats will bail me out in the fact that we had certainly more openings and opportunities. It will also bail me out in the fact that we were nowhere near as clinical enough in those opportunities, which is an Achilles Heel that we have at the moment. We’ve got to try and find a way to remedy that. In terms of the way that we applied ourselves, the fact that we came into this difficult field, Astroturf is very slick and very different to the way that we probably will have to play in too many places and against a very technically efficient team of course. I think we limited them to two shots on target in the first half and one of them was a goal. Plenty of efforts, plenty of opportunities that we were certainly not clean enough and clinical enough. We’re still managing to keep ourselves in a very good and efficient shape to restrict a good side. In terms of progression and that’s the way I have to look at it, I think we’re moving in the right direction. We need somebody who can find the back of the net, 100 percent.”

On if the positive play on the field not resulting into positive results is an expansion team woe

“If you’re saying an expansion team, what immediately springs to mind is a team that is lacking cohesion and understanding and structure. I don’t think that’s us. What we’re looking at here is a group that in ridiculously strange circumstances we’ve been stop, start, lots and lots of time off from each other. We’re going to take some time obviously to find a real pinnacle of our play in any department. When you look at what is going on in the final third, it’s not that we’re not creating, it’s not that we’re not actually a very decent unit defensively, what it is, is that a feel and a sparkle from individuals that haven’t played for a long time. What we’re seeing certainly from our guys is a lack of goal appreciation. I’d be more concerned if we weren’t creating chances, I do also think that to maintain confidence in the group, we have to at some point convert. Otherwise what we’ll start to see is a group of players that get despondent about the way they’re playing and their ability to actually make chances, but not get themselves in front. I certainly don’t want that to happen because we have bigger confidence issues then. It’s far too early to be worried about that. It certainly is a concern, I wouldn’t want to see this go on for too long, given the way we’re performing and creating.”

On how you see the lack of scoring improving

“Well let’s look at the main areas of creation and just as importantly, execution. If you look at tonight’s game, there’s a lot of weight on the shoulders of Dominique Badji, Hany (Mukhtar) and Randall (Leal). For those guys, would we say at this point, are they firing on all cylinders? Three games after not playing five months, I think even the biggest critic of us would be saying that these guys need a little more time to find their footing and certainly get into a rhythm. If you look at some of the better opportunities that came along, it was from working into space and getting beyond. Quite frankly running out of quality into some excellence situations and overloaded situations. We could also point a finger; do we make enough in the set pieces? From corners and from free kicks. Yet again, timing of delivery and the runs that are made, the ability to find the right spot and area that we’ve practiced and worked on is not quite coming at the moment. We’re just missing that spot, we’re just missing that opportunity. There’s loads of work to be done on this, my despondency comes from playing well away from home, yet getting beat two-nil. Did we deserve to get beat two-nil? No. Did we deserve to get beat one-nil in Portland? No. If you don’t score, if you don’t convert, there’s a chance this will happen. Yes, we have to correct this and yes it’s going to be a process that we have to keep pushing. Do we need some additions as well? Quite possibly and that’s something we’re constantly looking at to try and continue our development as a team.”

MIDFIELDER DAX MCCARTY

On the work rate against Atlanta United’s Pity Martinez

“Yeah, I mean I think that’s the reason why he is the South American Player of the year a few years ago. He played at one of the biggest clubs in Argentina. He is played a lot of money to be a difference marker and score those types of goals. Obviously, Atlanta in general and him have been in a little bit of a slump. I think it was foolish to expected them to not be able to create any chances whatsoever, especially playing at home motivated after a poor MLS is Back Tournament, but that’s what you pay for, the quality like that. I think we have that type of quality in our team, we are just not clicking yet in the attacking third. We have two goals from five games, I think that obviously speaks to where we are at on the attacking side of the ball. It’s not just our attackers, its everyone all eleven players are involved all the way back to Joe (Willis) to the defenders who are fullbacks getting involved in the attack to our midfielders giving our attacking players a platform to be successful. And ultimately it comes down to our attacking players having joy, and having freedom, having confidence. I think we are lacking a little bit of confidence right now on the attacking third. We are getting into good areas we just aren’t super clean and super crisp in the ways we are going about trying to get goals. So, I think the chances are going to continue to come, I think we have a good team we have good attacking players, it’s just a matter of getting the ball in the back of the net, scoring one and then getting a few more to back those up.”

On recovering after the through ball to Alistair Johnston

“It happened pretty quickly, it looked like there was a guy that had time and space on the ball midfield Pity (Martinez) had been floating pretty much all over the field, he is a guy that doesn’t really have a set roll they give him the freedom to go wherever he pleases, he then coming inside looking to try and get in behind the midfield try and create chances that way. Wasn’t having a lot of success, wasn’t having a lot of joy so I believe he started out wide, I am going to have to see the goal again, I think it was a simple ball over the top. In behind our fullback he takes a good touch forward and then and goes and does his thing 1v1 and has a good finish past Joe Willis. I think that’s preventable, I think that every goal this year that we have conceded this year has been preventable but ultimately these are things that we are going to have to continue to work on. Good players are going to get into good positions, he is always going to find ways to be dangerous around the box and it’s just a matter of making a play and standing him up and making sure we don’t give up a goal there. Ultimately that’s not the reason we lost the game, I think that you can’t expect us to get shut outs every single week, that would be nice that’s our goals but it’s almost impossible for even the best teams in the world who continue to get shutouts back to back to back so, we need to make sure that when we do concede goals, on the attacking side of it we are backing our defenders up and scoring goals and being dangerous on the flip side of that.”

DEFENDER DANIEL LOVITZ

On moments of pay off when they have the ball

“It’s a mentality more than anything, you look at our players, you look at theirs, I think we all have good defenders we have good attacking players in certain moments we have to make sure that even though we may be creating consistent opportunities and putting pressure on the team all it takes is a split second of real conviction and real what you call killers mentality, at least I would characterize it as that for the ball to go into the back of the net for their second goal. They break on us we do a decent job of getting It back, seems like the danger is taken out of the situation and then a guy decides he is going to put the ball in the back of the net no matter where anyone else on the field is and that’s what happened credit to him, it was a great strike on the second goal. I think in those moments we either have to be selfish or have some more conviction, like I said I think that will go a long way. I think it certainly can be done on both sides of the ball and as a defender there are certain moments where I definitely think we need to do better. I think that the first goal represents that for us collectively and the second goal again is more again a very, very well hit ball and a situation where we were a pressing where we are trying to find the goal to get back into the game and they break on us and the guy hits an incredible shot so credit to him.”

On assessment on how set pieces are going

“I think generally speaking it’s an area where we should be productive. I think a lot of that relies on the guys on the ball, myself and Hany (Mukhtar). There are certainly some instances in games of the past and tonight where the service wasn’t good enough, there are other times where we get a good service into a game area and it’s what we have worked on and we are not connecting on that first one. Whatever that may be. We do have a lot of the hype we do have the guys who are very, very attack minded when it does come to those situations and I think it’s about taking a deep breath and execute and recognizing that, that is a real opportunity for us. Again, I am very much looking forward to when that piece clicks, because it will and it’s going to be a nightmare for other teams. So, we are going to be patient with that, again I think set pieces are very important and understand that that is a source of a lot of goals in the modern game. At the end of the day, it’s not the bulk of our work, it’s not what we are focusing on. Take time, we need a lot of time for that of course, we prep for that, we practice it, we drill of it but at the end of the day we want to be putting five goals in the back of the net with every team without set pieces so it will be a nice supplement to our attack, but definitely want to be taken seriously and do better on it.”