Brian Carroll
How did you feel on the field on Sunday?
I felt pretty good but obviously that was my first game in a little while. We did a lot of work and put a lot of effort into that game. Just like everyone else, I was a little winded toward the end but I was able to get through the whole 90 and felt okay afterwards. It was fun to be out there and playing again but unfortunately we weren’t able to get a win.
How do you translate playing two of the best games on the road to playing at home?
We need to take the positives of what we do on the road and try to do more of it at home. I don’t know how to explain why we’ve had some of our better performances on the road but the fact is that that’s happened and we need to take what we’ve done well in those games and try to translate them into our home performances. Maybe the counterattack plays more into the road than it does at home, that might be one explanation, but we need to be able to do the counterattack and through possession and build up at home.
What is the pressure like coming back home and knowing you need a win?
It’s not easy but you have to put that pressure aside and just focus on executing the game plan and executing your performance. If enough guys do that on Saturday then we should be able to get a win at home.
How are the players taking the change on goal?
We’ve had a lot of chances, whether it be within performance or injury, so I expect the person who’s called upon to stand up, play great, and help us win.
How do you address set piece marking?
At this point I think it’s a lot of mental work , looking at yourself in the mirror, and trying to stay strong mentally and physically. It’s not only the first corner kick or free kick or a throw in, it’s the second and third chances that are coming in that we have to continue to deal with. It’s something that we have to just go out and do. We can sit here and talk about it or train it all we want in practice but we have to just go and do it in the game.
On Sunday’s game plan
We’re not happy about it. We put in a good game plan and we executed that for 90 minutes and for stoppage time we weren’t able to be clean enough on the set pieces and now we have to prove to ourselves and the league that we can get over the last 10 or 15 minutes. It’s just about going and doing it.
As captain, what is your role in helping the teammates move on from change?
I think we take our strength from the group and that’s from the coach all the way down. We believe in everything that we’re doing here so no matter who is on the field on any position, everyone is going to have each other’s support and belief that we will step up when called upon and do the job to get a result.
Thoughts on NYC FC?
They have a good mix of MLS experience. They have young guys coming up through the national team and big acquisition players so I don’t think at all that they look like a typical expansion side. I’m excited to play against them and see what they have to offer. I know it’s going to be a competitive game but it’s probably the start of a new East Coast rivalry being so close together and we’ll try and start off that rivalry in a good fashion.
Jim Curtin
Just to touch briefly on the Kansas City game, it was obviously a devastating result in the end. I thought it was a good 91 minutes and the worst thing for me is that a lot of really good performances from guys go unnoticed. I thought Ayuk was excellent. Maurice did a great job at center back. Carroll came in a tough spot with Nogueira not being able to play. You can go through the whole team and check a lot of individual boxes that they won for the day but at the end it’s devastating because we lose the war and don’t get any points. It’s difficult moving on now to New York City FC.
To clarify some things, Rais Mbolhi will not be playing in goal. John McCarthy will be our starter and Andre Blake will back him up. Just to be clear on that, it was my decision. It’s a decision that I made and it was based on performance and it’s what I think is best now for Rais and for the Philadelphia Union moving forward to get a result against New York City FC this weekend.
The last thing I would like to clear up too is that, as the head coach, I am responsible for all of the decisions that are made here. It’s not up to the players. It’s not up to Nick or Jay Sugarman. I have the final say and I make the decisions to move this team forward. I am responsible for our three losses as well. I am a guy that has been honest and upfront with all of the press and much like coaches in this league and a lot like quarterbacks, we get a lot of praise when things are going well and we deserve to take the heat when things aren’t going well. I am responsible for the three losses. I make the decisions here and I have to live with them. I have to get this team back in form. We still have very good players and we still have a very good team and a real belief.
Today’s’ training was upbeat and positive. The guys are really putting the work in and showing that we are getting better, as tough as that is to see right now. We are an improving team and we’re trying to lose the culture of losing and throwing games out. It’s a tough thing to put an end to. There’s a process to it but I think we are moving in the right direction as tough as it may seem.
I will call upon our fans that I think are the best fans in the league. We really need them this Saturday in a major way. I shouldn’t even call them fans. We have supporters, which is different than fans. They’re faithful to the end. That’s what supporters are and I think we have some of the best in the league. Our guys are going to need them this Saturday to push them over the edge. They’re the 12th man so to speak.
On the Union’s goalkeeping
We win and lose games as a team and as the Kansas City game went on Rais didn’t seem like himself. He didn’t seem like the goalkeeper that was winning us games in the preseason. Single-handedly, I think the confidence in him is gone to come off of his line and make a punch after a lot of balls were getting thrown in the box. We talked about that and my decision is based on him not looking like himself right now. I think it’s best for the team that he would have a seat and watch and the team can move forward.
On the Union’s bench
When you talk about salaries there’s always expectation in pro-sports. The who makes a good amount of money on the team is going to be held to a higher regard than the kid you would draft from Slippery Rock. With that come bigger expectations. We needed to rise to the moment and get us points and win us games. Right now that’s not happening. It could still happen down the road but I think it’s a needed change.
On Rais absent from training
I spoke with him yesterday. It was my decision and it’s best for him and the team right now that he’s not with the group. We’re going to move forward with McCarthy. Andre, coming off of a knee injury, is not quite ready yet. He’s showing very well in training but to throw him into the fire right now in his first game of year; the timing isn’t good. John has earned this right to be a starter. I’ve been very impressed with him. He’s a kid that I have faith in and I know our players have faith in him too. Anytime you play a new goalkeeper everyone has to raise the bar a little bit higher. Our defenders need to do a little bit more. Our midfielders need to do a little bit more because again, he’s a young goalkeeper and he played a full season last year and saw a lot of action so he has that under his belt. I will ask our guys to raise the bar a little bit higher and help John in his first start with the Philadelphia Union.
Do you expect Rais back soon?
That will be up to me. I think the things we can talk about publically are performance based. It was my decision. There are certain things that will be kept in-house in terms of transferring players and that kind of thing.
On Ethan White’s benching last year
For me, Ethan White is one of my favorite players so that was a hard one for me to do. I though Ethan had a great preseason but again, in the games, confidence on the ball was lacking a little bit. I know he is going to come back, bounce back, and be a contributor with this team down the road.
It is a team thing but at the same time I think I’m making this move for what’s best for the team. I think john is a guy who will come out of the game on crosses. Right now, Rais just didn’t have the confidence and maybe made a mistake or two in the last game.
Is the move on Rais only about his performance or is it personality based too?
Performance. He’s a good guy. When I sit down and talk with him he’s a smart and intelligent guy. He’s a pro. He did mention that he can’t guarantee how he’s going to react from this because this is the first time he’s been benched. He’ll take some time away and reflect on things just like I do when we lose. He’s a professional and I expect him to come back better than ever.
On Andre Blake and knee injury
It’s timing and getting the reps back in when training every day. Andre has progressed well and he’s close to being 100 percent. John has been going now and has played preseason games. He’s been in the fire, so to speak. Andre had significant time off. He did his rehab very diligently and came back quicker than expected. He is ahead of pace in terms of his knee actually healing and the timing might not be right to throw Andre in there just yet.
Thinking back to Rais joining th team, did you ever think you would be here nine months later?
Plans get made and there’s short term and long term. The famous Mike Tyson line, “Everyone has a plan until you get punched in the face.” You have to adjust and this is the first step in me adjusting. I think it’s what’s best for the team. I think we have to move on as a group and get that first win. I know the group has belief although it may not seem it. There’s still a confidence that I have in the players and that I think the players have in me.
We’re early into this thing. It’s three losses that we’ve had. They’ve been tough losses for sure and sleepless nights that go along with it. It’s difficult but I think that at the same time there’s a ton of season in front of us and a way to get this thing right.
On John McCarthy
He’s tough. He’s a kid that I’ve watched play for a long time. He’s a guy that I have faith in and a guy that I believe in. I think he can do the job.
Does it make more sense to seek American goalkeepers, being one of the highest and better positioned players of the country?
There’s two ways in thinking in that. With Rais, we were getting a guy off of a World Cup so you’re going to pay a higher price for him. I would agree that American goalkeepers are solid and it’s one that we produce in abundance. At the time, we thought that Rais would give us a calming presence and for a game or two he did. Philosophically, I do understand the idea. There’re good America goalkeepers and I would put McCarthy in that category. He’s a guy that we think can come in and do a good job.
On Fernando’s hand injury against Kansas City
Fernando, towards the end of the game, fractured his hand. It got stepped on. He’s a tough kid and didn’t even really look over to the bench for any one to come on the field. I saw the play. I saw him get up and shake it. He had surgery yesterday morning. He didn’t complain about anything and is a guy that has bought into this mindset and mentality that he wants to be here and he wants to win. I’m very happy with how he’s played.
On other player injuries
Sheanon should be available for selection this weekend. Vincent had a positive response in running today. He’s okay and I think he’ll be available in some way this weekend. Maidana ran and did just the technical part of training like the passing. He’s still probably a little bit off in talking specifically for this weekend. He’s progressing and we’re eager to get him back.
On Conor Casey
Towards the end of today’s session he came in. He’s just more fatigue in not wanting to damage anything again but he looked sharp yesterday and followed it up today. It’s very good that we’re getting a full staple of guys back.
Thoughts on NYC FC?
It’s New York so it’s a rival but you can’t all it too big of a rival yet because we haven’t played. They’re a team I respect a great deal. They have very dynamic and very good players that can both score a ball on their own individually.
On younger players training with the Union this week.
James Murphy is a young player that we had contact with by the U-18 national coach. Javier Perez contacted us and wanted to see him pushed a little bit more so we provided that opportunity. He’s a good player and a kid I’ve been around a bunch. He actually played for the Union in the generation Adidas Cup several years back. He has a very bring future. I think he has a future as a pro. It’s early to say for the kid but he reminds me of a Brad Evans type. He’s guy that’s a good 10-year pro and does the job. He’s a very positive, good, young player that we’re helping in progressing to the U.S. National team.
Facundo Quiroga is actually an old player of Chaco Maidana’s didn’t know that until they crossed paths and saw each other in the locker room. He’s a guy that gives a calm presence on the ball and obviously a very sharp player. He’s a guy that we’re just looking at for the week so we’ll see what happens from there.
How do you translate having two better performances on the road to home?
We’re at the stage now where talk is cheap. We’re past the talking part. I think they guys know what needs to be done and what needs to be executed. I’m confident that we’ll get it right. PPL is a place where our fans have always backed us. Whether we win or we lose, they stand behind us and those are the people that we need to do a good job for this weekend and get three points. I think once we do get our first win things will fall into place. It’s been some crazy games for us this year and our guys are kind of shocked in some ways with how things go. We’re staying strong and we’re staying confident and again, it’s my job to put the three losses behind us and find a win.
On Maurice Edu and the back line position
It’s too soon to tell. I still think Ethan will continue to push. I thought Mo was very good in the Kansas City game. He was engaged. His reactions were great and he put in a really solid performance. On the field he’s been excellent but I’m happy with off the field, becoming more of a leader and communicating more in the locker room. In some ways I feel devastated for the group because they haven’t gotten a result yet. They’ve worked so hard and put so much into it that they deserve one. It’s going to come.
On organization and personal performance of the defense
I think it’s both. I think there have been moments where it was about personal performance, whether it’s kicking or catching or coming out or winning a head ball as a team. And then there’s been moments where it was the group coming out of our line. It’s a combination of both of those things. Rais doesn’t look like the same player that I saw in the preseason. There’s confidence that’s lacking in him and that usually bleeds to your teammates as well. I wanted to do what’s best for him because there is no worse feeling than when you’re out on the field and you’re not confident. The other part is that the goals that we have given up are too many. We’re trying to make adjustments to improve that.
Are the changes to the team long-term or will the lineup change when Rais is more confident?
I am a big believer and you need to consistent back line. You need a group that gets consistent playing with one another but when result aren’t going your way there becomes a trend. We’re trying to find the right mixes of guys that will enable us to some continuity to the back line. If we do win with the group I’m not a guy who changes a winning team. I do like to stick with the winning team so if this team gets on a run I’m not going to change anything.
