Schmid: Healthier roster, more options

Here’s some of what Seattle coach Sigi Schmid and Vancouver coach Carl Robinson had to say after the Sounders clinched CCL Group F with a 3-0 win over the Whitecaps at CenturyLink Field:

SCHMID

Opening statement:

“Obviously we are pleased with the result – it gets us into the next round. It’s nice to have a lot more players healthy, so then options and choices were a lot better. Obviously we played seven fresh guys tonight of the 11. It’s always easier when it’s a young player like (Cristian) Roldan plays next to an experienced player rather than having two young players next to each other. It makes the game a little bit easier… We’ve been talking a lot, working on and making sure we are organized on defending set pieces, so I am pleased [that] the last two games we haven’t given up a set piece… Those are important things as your team moves forward and you try to get yourself into the right rhythm in order to win games. We are very pleased tonight.”

On Lamar Neagle scoring two goals after not playing last match:

It helps him because he has played a lot of minutes and we sort of put the mantle on him because of all the injuries we have had. He’s played too many minutes, so for him to come off the bench allowed for his legs to be a little bit fresher. I think also his mentality becomes fresher – you also wear down psychologically. Sometimes the bench is also a good motivator.”

On Marco Pappa:

“I thought Pappa did well. We weren’t sure if he was going to get through 90 minutes – I thought that was going to be a bit of a question mark – the way we had to substitute we needed him to get through it. Obviously it’s a good set piece that rewards us in a goal, and he helped us control the tempo of the game. He was important tonight for our possession because we didn’t have (Gonzalo) Pineda and (Osvaldo Alonso) out there. As I said, when we beat Vancouver up there, maintaining possession was important – we had more possession tonight, which takes them out of their offensive rhythm.”

On consecutive shutouts in significant matches:

“It’s just good. The thing we talked about before the game was, ‘Hey, we’re starting to get in a rhythm, we’re starting to win games, confidence is growing – this is just another game in that step, in that sequence.’ We didn’t want to say, ‘Hey this is a different competition.’ We’re talking about sequencing ourselves, building our confidence level and continuing to win games. Not giving up any goals is something we are very happy with.”

On having Obafemi Martins in the 18:

“It’s great. Oba and I had talked and obviously after what had happened in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup he was a little bit leery to try to play another midweek game. We talked and I said, ‘Look, I am not going to use you if I don’t need you. Hopefully we will get this thing to two or three nothing.’ If we needed something to turn the game I think he’d be there; he’s a team guy. He was there, of course, if we needed him. Once Lamar got the third goal I told him to not even warm up, sit down and take the night off.”

On choosing the backline and goalkeeper:

We made the switch in goal – we came with (Stefan) Frei instead of (Troy) Perkins just because goalkeeping is a little bit different of a position, and Frei has just been in form. In the back, obviously, with losing (Román) Torres we don’t have as many options in the back. (Brad) Evans – not to say that center backs don’t run – but there is a hell of a lot less running at center back than there is at right midfield. I knew that Brad could play there, so we were deciding between (Chad) Marshall and (Zach) Scott. It was great to see Leo (Gonzalez) on the field – it was his first significant minutes in a couple of months. Then we decided at right back if we should come with (Oniel) Fisher or with Tyrone (Mears), and we felt Tyrone was a little bit fresher. Sometimes a young player, when playing so many games, can wear down – not only physically, but they can wear down mentally – so it was good to give him a little bit of a break. He’s done a good job playing for us. Our options in the back were limited, but I also felt secure that we had a solid back four, and Leo has been a starter on this team when he’s been healthy.”

ROBINSON

On the match:

“We had our first team that played on Saturday against Seattle. We’re young and we knew we were going to be even younger. We are banged up at the moment, but I won’t use that as an excuse. I made changes based upon energy levels among the team and picked the team that I thought could get a result today. We give away a couple of bad goals. You look at their lineup – a very strong lineup – and they made a number of changes as well. Their changes are experienced players, mine are young players so it’s one we’ve got to take on the chin.”

On if experience was the difference in the match:

“You can use that if you want, but in any game that you play, when you cross that white line, it’s about the correct mentality and making mistakes or not making mistakes. Up until they’d scored the goal … I think we’d managed the game very well, but we just caught a little bit sleeping and the first goal went in. As in every game, the first goal is always crucial. It was difficult then. We could see the set piece and it was a bad set piece goal. Then at 2-nil it’s always difficult. We tried to rally and regroup the boys at halftime to get the next goal because the next goal was going to be crucial. Then we give it away after two minutes. All in all, a disappointing night, but we’ve got to brush ourselves down now.”

On if the bad goals were the most disappointing aspect of the night:

“Without a doubt. It’s hard to take positives when you lose, especially 3-nil like we have done in the last two games against Seattle. I said to Sigi (Schmid) at the end of the game that seemed like déjà vu. We conceded three bad goals. There’s nothing I can say about that. The guys know that – I’ve let them know that. We need to be better. Whether you’re 18 years of age or whether you’re 34 years of age, if you should make mistakes, good players take advantage of them like Seattle did today.”

On if he regrets not starting a few more experienced guys tonight:

“I was thinking on it up until this morning. Like I said, we’ve got a few guys banged up – three of the guys who played on Saturday are struggling. Three other guys are touch and go so I couldn’t really afford to take the risk, which is why we traveled with 19 players. Ben McKendry, who hasn’t played a minute for me, was set to be on the bench barring a last-minute decision. We’re down to the bare bones so if I could’ve maybe I would’ve, but couldn’t so I didn’t.”

On the disappointment of being out of their Champions League debut:

“Without a doubt. In any competition we have, we have aspirations to try and do well. Three games and we’re out. Tonight hasn’t cost us really. I think the home game when we conceded against Seattle – when they got a point at our place – is part of the reason why we’re out because there are three difficult teams in the group, including ourselves. We knew it would probably come down to winning our home games and we didn’t take care of business at home even though we remain undefeated. Seattle did so credit to them for taking advantage of that. They’re probably more set than us at this moment in the development of their organization. The proof is in the pudding with these young guys.”

On if this was a baptism of fire for the younger players:

“It’ll do them a world of good. I’ve said that to them. I said that the amount of learning that they’ll do in the short term, it might hurt because you lose in front of 30,000, but in the medium and long term, they’ll get massive benefit out of it. It’s over a period of time so 17 and 18-year-olds away at Seattle in a Champions League game – hasn’t happened before, so they got to learn from that. They’ll take it as an experience and we’ll be better for it and prepared next year.”

On what he’s learned to take into next year’s Champions League:

“It’s difficult. And if you get an easier group that’d be nice, or a slightly different group. It was always called the group of death – we knew that. As I said, Seattle is probably better set up and Olimpia is a very strong team as well. We’ve got to go down there in October so we look forward to that and try to finish it off on a high. But it’s about rotating your squad as well. We’ve got five big MLS games coming up. Are we ready to deal with the Champions League as well? Probably not, but it doesn’t matter now because we don’t have to.”

On what they can get from their first trip to Central America:

“It was be experience for these players again. A lot of younger players will play in that game. I keep saying younger players – I repeat myself because we’ve got younger players on the first team. And I know with that comes pitfalls. You have to take the hit sometimes and tonight we take the hits against a rival because we’ve got young players. I couldn’t afford to take any risks on players. That will happen down the stretch and it’ll be great for them in the short, medium and long term. They’ll get some great learning from playing down at Olimpia. We know what it’s like – it’s very difficult, the atmosphere and antics that go on – but we’ll be better for it.”

This story was originally published September 23, 2015 at 10:47 PM with the headline "Schmid: Healthier roster, more options."