What They’re Saying After the Spirit’s Draw at San Diego
On Sunday, the Washington Spirit tied San Diego Wave FC 1-1. After the match, defender Tara McKeown and midfielder Hal Hershfelt spoke with the media.
On a result that wasn’t ideal but still getting a point on the road:
McKeown: Yeah. I mean, definitely, we wanted the win, and we created a lot of chances, especially at the end, so I think it was great that we were able to keep pushing. But coming away with one point, it’s a little disappointing, and hopefully we’ll get back home and just get ready for next week.
On the chances created today not going in the back of the net:
McKeown: I think in the box, they did a good job of shot blocking, so a lot of our good shots were blocked, and then just not getting great contact on some. There was a lot of chances that we’ve created, and we’ve been working on that, so now we just got to figure out a way to put those good chances away.
On playing the San Diego Wave and what makes them a tough team to play:
Hershfelt: I honestly think today was different. Our energy coming out was a little lax, more so than usual. They’re so good at those last-ditch defensive efforts. You see some people on their back line made really good blocks in a moment where we needed a goal, obviously. So, I think they’re just really good at those last-ditch defensive efforts.
On Naomi Girma:
Hershfelt: I mean, she’s just a great player, and she’s so good at putting herself in those positions. So, just overcoming obstacles like that, I guess.
On the differences of her role in the midfield since Jonatan Giráldez’s arrival:
Hershfelt: Honestly, we have similar principles. Our principles are pretty much the same, but just kind of expanding on it. I’d say being a little more creative with it, I guess, like figuring out what works best for us based on the game. I feel like it changes all the time, but we kind of stick to the same principles. We’ve just been refining them, I guess, if that’s the right word.
On positive takeaways and areas for improvement heading into the next match:
Hershfelt: For us, it’s interesting because I think we lack this in the Portland game as well, but the firepower at the start of the game. I feel like setting the tone is so important, and I don’t think we did that tonight. But positive takeaway: I think that we really, in the second half, turned it up because we had that, “Oh, crap,” moment, “We’re tied.” And I think our performance in the second half was a lot better. We had so many chances. We should have put some away. That’s something we can do better. It’s just being more effective when we get those chances.
The post What They’re Saying After the Spirit’s Draw at San Diego appeared first on Washington Spirit.