Following Brooklyn FC men’s 0-1 loss to Loudoun United FC, head coach Marlon LeBlanc, striiker Markus Anderson, and defender Thomas Vancaeyezeele spoke to the media.
Marlon LeBlanc, Head Coach
What were the positives you took away from tonight’s match?
“I don’t know if I have three things for you, but we don’t concede goals in the run of play anymore. The problem is defending set pieces. We didn’t really give away too much during this match today. The difference in the match was a set piece. Unfortunately, we gave away too many fouls in the first half in dangerous positions, and they made us pay for it. But I think the positive right now is that it’s literally five games in a row where we haven’t given up a goal in the run of play. We’ve just got to stop giving up set-piece goals now.”
How did you evaluate the team’s energy and performance in the second half?
“I thought it was good. I think the game state tells a lot. They were obviously defending the lead, and we were pressing the game more. I thought we played pretty well in the second half, but we didn’t create enough clear-cut chances from the pressure we put on them. You’ve got to give them a lot of credit for standing strong and being able to defend out the game.”
Were there any messages from training this week that translated well into the match?
“I think there’s a lot that the guys do well. I thought today we weren’t as good with the ball as we typically are. We had more of the ball and more possession, but we weren’t as sharp with it as I think we can be and have been in the past.
It’s another game where we have more of the ball than the opponent and lose. Maybe we need to start giving the opponent the ball more and playing without it, because we seem to score more goals and win more games when we play without the ball.”
What impact did the substitutes make in the second half?
“Again, the game state tells a lot. When you’re down and you make changes, it’s a type of game where you can come in on the front foot without a whole lot of worry about what’s behind you. I thought the subs came in and did a good job.
The game was in the balance. It was a tight game both ways, and we tried to be aggressive with the changes that we made. There’s no doubt we’re a little bit thin right now in terms of overall numbers. If you pick up an injury or two, it leaves your squad a little bit short.
It would have been nice to have Sona Chicago available for a game like this today, but the injury kept him out. Ryan McLaughlin was carrying a little bit of something too, so we weren’t able to use him for the full match.
It is what it is. I thought when Ryan came in, he gave us a little bit of a lift. We’ve really just got to get some guys healthy and get a full group back together, and hopefully we can turn this a little bit more in our direction moving forward.”
Looking ahead to the USL Open Cup match against Hartford, what are the key areas the team needs to address?
“Last time we played Hartford, it ended up being something like 70-30 in terms of possession and 500-plus passes to 100 passes, and we lost the game 2-1. We gave up two set-piece goals in that game.
I’d expect a lot more of the same, a very direct opponent that’s going to put us under a lot of pressure with direct play and set pieces. We need to find a way to mitigate their opportunities and ability to put the ball in the box and make the game 50-50 with second balls, much like what Loudoun was able to do today.
We’re not good at that type of game, and it’s been the recipe for success against us this year. We’ve got to be smart and more efficient with the ball when we do have it against Hartford.”
Markus was recently nominated for Player of the Month. What can you say about his impact on the team?
“Markus is a great player. Unfortunately, he’s carrying a little bit of a hip flexor right now, so he wasn’t as effective as he typically would be at 100% tonight.
There’s no secret to what’s been really working for us going forward. It’s when Markus is really flying and going 100%. It’s great for a new franchise, an expansion team, to have a player up for the very first Player of the Month award.
There’s no doubt Markus is getting better and better every week as well. We’ve just got to get him healthy.”
Markus Anderson, forward, #35
With it still being early in the season and after a strong month of April that included a Player of the Month nomination, how are you feeling physically and mentally as the team continues building its identity?
“Mentally, I feel good. Obviously, we’re a new team, but there’s some things that you have to step up on and be better on as any team. I feel like me coming into this team, it was good. All the guys are good. We compete well, we train well, we train hard, and we’re focused on everything.”
In terms of your eye for goal and ability to recognize mismatches and attacking opportunities, is that something that comes naturally to you, or is it something you’ve had to develop over time?
“I feel like throughout the years of me playing, obviously, I trained it. I got to be in those situations a lot in my career. And also, it just comes naturally. It comes with playing in the game, what you have to do right away in split milliseconds. I feel like it just comes to me naturally. Sometimes I have to work for it.”
In matches where you score but the result slips away late, like against Miami, do you ever leave feeling like you personally needed to do more?
“I feel like everyone can say they have to do more for the team. I just feel like we have to put up a big fight and just keep competing, not put our head down. It’s 90 minutes. It’s a long game, so we have to keep competing until the last whistle.”
You and Coach Marlon LeBlanc previously worked together in Philadelphia. How would you describe the trust between the two of you and the freedom he gives you on the field?
“Marlon has a lot of trust in me, and he lets me do some things freely, but I also have to stick to what he says. I feel like when I play under Marlon, I get to do things I don’t normally get to do in certain areas.
Playing with Marlon, it comes natural, it feels fluid, it feels free. I love playing for Marlon.”
What advice would you give to younger footballers who may doubt themselves or their future in such a competitive sport?
“Don’t let anyone talk down on you. Always know your strengths. Keep working every day. Nothing is going to come easily, and it’s all about having a good mentality. If you’re not going to work for it, then it’s not going to come to you.”
Thomas Vancaeyezeele, defender, #92
After a couple of away matches and the strong U.S. Open Cup performance against the Cosmos, what was the team’s mindset coming into tonight’s match back at home?
“We lost in Miami, but I thought we had a good game there. Unfortunately, we conceded three times on set pieces. So we were excited to come back home and prove that we wanted to win. Unfortunately, it didn’t come out the way we wanted.
Again, we conceded on another set piece, and I’m not happy with it. It’s something we have to work on, and we should do better in those situations.”
How would you evaluate the communication and chemistry along the defensive line right now?
“Communication is obviously key in football. I thought we defended pretty well overall in the run of play. We defended pretty well.
We concede a lot from set pieces, like I said, and it’s not good enough. But otherwise, in open play, we are pretty solid.”
Looking ahead to the upcoming USL Open Cup match against Hartford, what lessons can the team take from the previous meeting?
“We played Hartford, I would say, around two months ago, and same thing — we had a really good game, but we conceded two unfortunate goals on counter attacks.
So we know we can play well against that team, and next week we’re going to try to get the win.”
With the season still being very new and this being an expansion team, how do you feel the group is progressing in building its identity?
“I think tonight, even though we lost, we showed that we are resilient. We didn’t give up. We tried to push as much as we could, and we created chances. We just didn’t score.
When you think about it, it’s a brand-new team with brand-new players, so chemistry needs time to build. Teams like Loudoun have been playing together for three or four years, and almost everybody is new in our club, so chemistry is still growing.”
Lastly, what has it meant to represent Brooklyn FC and play in front of the supporters at Maimonides Park?
“That’s amazing. It’s such a blessing. I feel like the crowd is getting bigger and bigger, and the Brooklyn supporters are pretty loud, to be honest. I’m really happy with that.”
