Orlando City SC Head Coach Oscar Pareja
Opening Statement
“A good result for us. I think we take this point from a difficult place in Philadelphia with a lot of intensity. We had a lot of space with the ball, more than we thought we could get. At the same time, we knew that our options would be behind their backs, and we had two or three options that could have gotten us the three points. In the end, I think it was very level. We will take this game as an improvement of our defensive system as it is our first clean sheet. We are happy, but the boys had a lot of personality to come to this hard place and have that result.”
On preparing for Philadelphia’s pressure
“I have to give credit to Joran [Gerbet] and Dagur [Dan Thórhallsson]. They had a lot of personality. We didn’t have too much time or frequency in our trainings with both of them, but they adapted to the possibilities that the game brought them. Today, they did a good job of trying to keep the lines connected. They were asked to be the ones to absorb that pressure and the pressing and the way that Philadelphia plays, especially at home, and they did a good job. Our system defensively looked more solid, and we wanted to have the ball a little longer to get our sequencing, but it was a very difficult place, and I have to admit that they did a good job on their pressing. In the end, we accept that we could have been better with the ball, but again, our defensive postures of the group were correct, and we could have had more int he game with two or three actions we had with [Marco] Pašalić and with Martín [Ojeda] and with [Luis] Muriel as well.”
On David Brekalo and his performance
“David’s assignment was to be a left back. In our sequencing, he could be that third defender that could initiate the game so we could release [Alex] Freeman. I think David did a good job in that part. Without the ball, we knew that Philadelphia had a centralized game that was direct and every ball that they played they would go to the center, so we thought it would be a good idea to have David with his presence and his ariel game that is strong, help us in some occasions as a third central back without being a central back the whole game. It was like a hybrid assignment for him, and I think he did a good job. I think he provided solidness today on that side.”
Orlando City SC Goalkeeper Pedro Gallese
Opening Statement
“Obviously, a very tough game coming here on the road. We know that [Philadelphia] is having a good year, but we came here with the intentions to win but still a good result from our side.”
On the back-to-back saves he made in the 30th and 31st minute
“In those moments, I thought we were defending well, and we were organized well. It was just one of those things where we were solid in front of our own goal and defended it really well. Really happy with the shutout today, of course, would be better if we took all three points and won the game, but I will say it again, just a really important point for our team on the road.”
On the performance of the midfield and defense
“We have got teammates that are always prepared to step into whatever roles they are asked to play and whatever positions they are asked to play. Today, was David [Brekalo] out at left back and Dagur [Dan Thórhallsson] and Joran [Gerbet] stepping in together in the midfield and those may not be the position they were asked to play at the start of the competition and the tournament, but they stepped up big today.”
