Tengarrinha‘s View
With the team now officially out of playoff contention, how do you assess the group’s overall progress this season, and what becomes the main focus for the team over these final two matches?
“I’m proud of my team. There has been a big development from the players in the main aspects of the game, in tactical and technical terms. There has also been a growth in the development not only as players but also as people. I have had the luck of working with an incredibly group of people that never give up on a fight. We might not have had the results that we ambitioned, there were several points lost in the final stages of the games that today would allow us to be in a totally different position – but that doesn’t take all the hard work, professionalism and intention of this team to make special things. There are still two games to play and we will do what we always did in the games we played this season, we will compete to win. That’s a statement that I can be proud of and that represents the Women’s Team of Brooklyn FC.”
There were a lot of key moments and momentum shifts in today’s match, from going down two goals, to forcing the own goal, and then playing against ten players late, how do you reflect on the way the team responded through those different phases of the game?
“Yes, it was a game with different key moments. We started by having the first goal opportunity when the result was 0-0, but we were unable to score. During the 1st Half, Sporting Jax’s only opportunity was the Penalty Kick. Even after that, we had in our hands the possibility of going to half-time with at least a tied result of 1-1. Then in the 2nd half the team gave a good answer to the tactical adjustments made and we were settling in the game when the 2-0 is conceded. We went after the result and in that process we were able to score from a free kick from Jess Garziano. With one extra player after that, the team looked to have an attacking mentality, fast pace on the ball and to generate opportunities against a lower block, with new players on the field too, that gave their best efforts. Unfortunately the result didn’t turn out to be what we expected.”
Match Reactions
Leah Scaepelli, #17, full back
Can you share your thoughts on today’s performance, and what are some of the positives the team can take away from this match?
“Obviously it’s a tough one to take, especially knowing what was on the line. I think we’re all hurting right now. At the same time, there were still positives..We created chances, had stretches where we controlled the game, and showed what we’re capable of. It just comes down to those small moments that didn’t go our way today. It’s disappointing, but there’s still a lot in this group to be proud of.”
What does this group show you in terms of character and togetherness, especially with the way the team kept pushing until the final whistle today?
“This team has so much heart.. I mean you can see today. Even with everything on the line and the result not going our way, no one gave up. We kept pushing until the final whistle. That says everything about our character. It makes this one hurt even more, but it also shows the kind of group we have. We’ll stick together, learn from it, and focus on the last two games of this season.”
