Angel City FC Press Conference: 04.26.24 | Alyssa Thompson, Ali Riley, and Head Coach Becki Tweed

hey guys um let me get your thoughts one on the game that you played but then on just how it plays out at the end and the disappointment with that yeah I think um it started off a little bit transitional but I think once we got some momentum um we showed how dangerous we can be I thought our back three the the plan kind of was was working I thought we were able to really nullify their threats who have been very very successful this season so um yeah it was we really proud of the work the girls were putting in and putting in huge tackles Maddie Curry I think had an incredible night um and I think it just shows you have to be on your game for the entire 96 Minutes um we let down at the end you know it's it's tough coming in um as a sub and and feeling the momentum shift and that's something that all of us will have to look at but um I don't think you can fault the effort that was put in against a really top team it's just a shame that we couldn't we couldn't keep that going through the end through the end and come out with three or at least one point we can hear you yeah Alysa can you walk us through the uh the goal that Claire um scored so at that point you guys had some pretty good strong um um possession spells there for that how do you see that sort of breakdown yeah I thought our goal was really good we had like a lot of possession at the time and we were winning the ball back after we lost it too I think our shape behind the ball was really good and we were able to get in positions like that we practice and um there was just a lot of interchange and I went wide and I saw Claire and she's always in good position so I passed her the ball and she scored yeah hi allly uh you spoke about the back three obviously you came in as a sub but kind of throughout the week or for however long kind of what was it like adjusting to the new system you know when did that come up um it was a really quick turnaround from the last game obviously and the players who played the last game had to recover and and get ready for this game so I think we really only had a day and a bit um and that's why I think even more credit to how well I think that change worked I think that um you know chwinga and Michelle Cooper coming in mace like they H had another gear I think and were able to wear us down a little bit but I think that Meg and and Sarah and Maddie just were so strong back there and again we had really good spells of possession and that was I think the key and when we lost that a little bit and then we couldn't get pressure on the ball yeah they just kept coming and coming but I do think that we have really good chances it would be helpful for those three in the in the backline probably to finish finish a couple more chances and they were they were knocking on the door um franch had a couple really really good saves but yeah I think we should have come out with like I said at least at least the tie yeah and then I'm curious about the captain's arm band looks like something's written on there I don't know you oh on here or the other yeah that what is whose idea was that kind of I don't if I miss yeah well it says big anti-racist energy which uh we were proud to have here um I think we have we have a few different armbands but we as a club and as a team we really want to take all opportunities we can to show what we stand for so yeah this is this is obviously one of our favorites that that we've had from last season and we have our our uh Pride arm band as well so I think yeah any again there's there are restrictions to to what we can wear when we um when we go out onto the field but obviously I had that opportunity um at the World Cup to find a creative way to show and I think what the club has done and and huge credit to Brock our our equipment manager to show to be able to find a way for us to show what we stand for at this club Jackie in the back thank you hi Ally hi Alyssa um two questions just whoever wants to go for it but what were just some of the pieces in the second half when you look at the overall game and just internally that you thought were working well at least um I thought what was working well was like we were kind of trying to do the same thing in the first half um definitely the changes that they made made it harder for us to get in positions that we wanted to but I think like if we kept possession for a little bit longer we could have been in the same spots that we were in the first half um I think it just got challenging as it went on because we were running a lot and then Ally for you you mentioned um how Kansas City came in with this extra kind of like gear in a sense um with some of their subs but how do you think the team looking forward now kind of Embraces that and levels up for this next Road game I think we will analyze the game of course as usual and we just yeah I think being gritty and being really hardworking is something that we pride ourselves on so now this really showed if we don't do that to the final whistle that this league is too good these teams are too good the players are too good to just let them in an inch so that's where we again the players who started the game creating great chances scoring a really really good goal that's something can we keep doing that can we keep creating chances can we score another goal and then as Defenders as Wing backs can we show to the very end that we're willing to put our body on the line Sprint back recover and even higher up the field put pressure on the ball so they don't even get to our defensive third to begin with so I think putting the all of those pieces together is something that we're going to have to do against every single team and then now off the back of this loss it starts with Utah want to get your thoughts on what you were happy with when you guys were ascendant and in the second half as they start to take over what was it that you guys were didn't do well or were unable to do um I think first half we created a decent amount of opportunities I think the game plan um I think structurally I think we won tackles um I think we came in at halftime in a good position um something we've talked about is when we do get the lead we have to continue to play um I think arguably for 89 minutes I think we did I think we switched off for the last six minutes and you can't switch off in the last six minutes against any team in the in the nwl let alone a team that scored 20 goals so um I think that is reflective of something we need to look at every day um and we just have to get better from it hi coach uh you know thanks for taking time as always but could you just talk about you know moving into the 343 on you know maybe three days of preparation um and then how you saw that play out um to limit some of some of Kansas City's Stars yeah I think we stopped Kansas in transition like for the most part of it I think we were able to keep beer and chwinga pretty quiet they've been two really threatening players obviously in the league and we chose to play in a 3 43 build in a three with two sixes to have five players available for transition I think when I looked at other teams play against them often one six gets punished that happened to us last time um when you build out with two center backs really wide again if you give the ball away they're just looking to punish you so something a little different we didn't have a crazy of time to prepare but um I mean credit to the team in the time that we did have they executed it really really well um and I think that again we did limit those chances I think when you look at Kansas's depth of their squad um ultimately I think that is something that you you can bring deor Off the Bench you're in a good space um so yeah I think disappointed again for the last six minutes really um de berardo hits one top corner but the last two goals I think for us we have to be better defensively um it actually starts with us being better in possession and things that we spoke about before the game because you will get punished by these teams um so yeah I think again we had three days turnaround um really call it two um but the team was really bought in and they executed the game plan really well so that was pleasing for us as well yeah and then Claire emsley gets another goal could you just talk about her starts of the Season you know obviously tied up there for Golden Boot race all that yeah um I think Claire's found this like confidence and this flare in the Box I think it's really cool to see her it's like it's not even your Scrappy goals now she's scoring it's like composure it's she knows what she's doing um and I think you need a player like that like you need that player that's going to step up and you know that every game they're going to create you or score goals for you and I think cla's taken that role on I think she's kind of found her footing in the nwsl now I think any player that comes over from Europe always finds it difficult um and I think it takes some time to adapt and I think cla's really adapt um adapted really well so yeah it's great I think again Alyssa getting an assist is huge um and we just have to keep working hard in that final third I know it's cliche to say it's the hardest part of the game but it really is um so yeah credit to CLA um I think our starts The Season's been brilliant Becky um two questions for you but just going into this second half with that one1 stand still like what was your just messaging to the team in in that moment at least yeah we obviously thought at halftime they would change a little bit um I know that we prepared for what would they do if we came out in a 343 would they change the Press would they change how they built and they changed a little bit um we knew that we had to continue to play and keep the ball I think where Kansas really hurt teams are actually when you're in possession and something we said today was that we may have to concede a little bit of possession because they want us to have the ball um and they want us to give the ball away so they can counter on us so I think we didn't need to press as high we basically said to them well you have the ball um and actually when I I just looked it ended up pretty 50/50 in possession um so yeah we again that's something that we have to look at we have to continue to play when we go one nil up we have to continue to play when we go two n up we can't just sit back and defend um and again I I don't think we necessarily did that um we just became a little careless on the ball um and mistakes that we talked about that we that we needed until a race started to come out a little bit as we got tired and then also too just thinking about Madison Curry's performance and obviously she did very well in today's game just what was your advice or the direction that you gave her for this match um I think I said it a million times in the last three days is just shape behind the ball when we have the ball we have to make sure our shape behind the ball is really good um and I think she really Embraces that like physical contact um She's Not Afraid to tackle she'll go in uh in a 1 V one leave her feet if she needs to and I think she has that like really gr who would have known she went to Princeton huh um she has that like really gritty side of her that um has serving her really well I think she's five games into a professional career and she came out of the draft at 50 something it's incredible and she has such a bright future ahead of her she's devastated right now and I think she put in a performance that she should be proud of and you can't ride the emotions of the nwsl cuz we got a train tomorrow and we've got to get back on a plane to to head out to the next game which is also the best part we can turn around and we can fix it in a in a short space of time but yeah I think again she's five games in and she just has such a bright future ahead of her hey um sorry in the in the 343 setup was Alyssa playing a little deeper than normally does yeah a new role for Alyssa um and it's a lot of work but yeah at times she had to defend as a left back and I think that again she embraced it I think she did really really well in it um I think it obviously requires a lot of up and down running box to box um and she's more familiar with being a little bit closer to goal but I think she showed a little bit more of a maturity tonight and how much she's growing she's still 19 but she's taken on a different role um she understood it um I think the first question she asked me yesterday was does that mean I have to take throwin um which was very interesting um but yeah no I think that again these other things that it's the first time we've really played in that shape um using her as a wing back but yeah I think she did really well in it yeah kind of adding to you know the whole elicit discussion you you mentioned the assist earlier how important is you know getting that number you know just for her confidence uh obviously still very young but just moving forward yeah I think this year is a great year for Alyssa to just be herself and enjoy the game again um and enjoy football I think last year was a well- wied year for as a rookie um I just want to take all that pressure off her and just give her that like Love of the Game um and I think you can see that she's definitely um she's played a lot of minutes in the last six games and I think that again is like another piece of maturity to her game is the way she plays she often can't get to 90 minutes CU it's so explosive and she's just growing in that space as well um growing into herself as a young adult and um I think there is nothing better than her being herself when she's happy and she's enjoying her football and I think you can see that she's starting to like really Embrace who she is as a player um and kind of take that like pressure off herself and just play