Orlando City SC Head Coach Oscar Pareja
Opening Statement
“We are obviously very excited and proud, but first from our players and our staff, we want to honor the fans that came today with such energy and helped us. It's beautiful to see the stadium that way, see the culture and how this Club has become one of the best in Major League Soccer. So, responding with this victory is great, and just having the boys in this moment with the way they're playing as well. Just makes us honor our God and show the gratitude that we have with him, just allowing us to become the team that we wanted to be at this stage, after the very difficult year we’ve had. We are now competing the way that we wanted. [We] one more step, we haven't won yet. We will be prepared for New York [Red Bulls], and hopefully we can advance to [MLS Cup].”
On his team’s defensive effort
"A lot of credit for the players in this type of [game]. You have to be solid. Our game model is always with the energy to propose the game and trying to have the initiative. We find a lot of lower blocks, and sometimes it is a risk for if you have those spaces in behind. But we really were a concentrated team tonight. Then in the second half, when [Atlanta United] put their lines higher and we felt that we were defending deeper than we wanted. We didn't consider shots or any dangerous situation there. So that's something that made me feel optimistic when I see a solid team like we were tonight.”
On Wilder Cartagena’s impact in the game
“Well, it is not a secret. Just to see how the connection that César [Araújo] and Wilder [Cartagena] have had during the year, and both of them have grown tremendously on the way they help the group. Both of them understand the role and they are very important. Today they had the task to control one of the best playmakers in the league. A guy who has created a lot of damage on the prior games, [Aleksey] Miranchuk, is very crafty, and he neutralized him very well. So, I'm happy for them and I think is it's something that is very noticeable, how they both help us in that contention and also in creating some spaces to play forward too.”
Orlando City SC Forward Ramiro Enrique
Opening Statement
“Obviously, just, just very happy, right? Really happy for the moment tonight, for the group that we have in this great club. Just really happy in this great moment tonight.”
On his goal off the corner kick
"On that corner, and that type of play, I intend to be ready for that second ball, for that second play. When it was hit there, thankfully, I anticipated it really well, and just got into that space and beat everybody to the ball and was able to convert.”
On advancing to the Eastern Conference finals
“First and foremost, just happy, right? Happy, happy for this team and for this club, and to be able to move on to this moment, and to have a part in that by scoring the goal, I think, you know, being able to get to the conference finals, we're just really happy. We're happy to be there. This club is going to take it step by step to ultimately get to what our end goal is, which we all know. I'm just really happy to be able to score tonight. As a forward, you want to score goals in every game you play, which just isn't realistic, but you still have to have the intention to go out there to score those goals, to get yourselves in those opportunities, to be able to help your team in in any way that you can. That's what I always try to do. I try to leave it all out there on the field, running as hard as I can, defending as hard as I can, and then and then going out and trying to score those goals. So just very happy.”
Orlando City SC Midfielder Dagur Dan Thórhallsson
Opening Statement
“It’s an amazing feeling; I’ll tell you that. We were just celebrating in the locker room and it’s amazing for everyone. I feel like there’s kind of a relief that finally we did it. Just an amazing feeling.”
On setting the tone this afternoon
"We knew they [Atlanta United] were a team that beat us twice in the regular season and we wanted to avenge that a little bit. We felt like we needed to come out guns blazing and just full out from the start. We did that because in the last game against them, they scored two quick goals. I felt like we were ready and from the beginning we were quite solid.”
On the team’s rivalry with Atlanta United FC
“It’s always an amazing feeling and they have an amazing team, and they have been doing a great job. We knew it was going to be a tough game, and it was going to be hard until the end.” We started the game in the first half really well. They took over a little bit in the second half. It’s an amazing feeling like I said.”
