Leagues Cup Press Conference | Armas and Rosenberry preview match with Philadelphia Union

welcome everybody to today's press conference uh we are joined by Chris armas and Keegan Rosenberry from Colorado M Rapids uh for the match minus1 press conference against Philadelphia Union at subo Park tomorrow August uh 25th at 4:30 p.m. kickoff time um coach Kean um the group is has uh you're a win away from reaching a conquer CF Champions Cup uh spot for next year how is the group feeling and how are you guys feeling personally our group is feeling really good good you know we are proud of the work that's gotten us here we're proud um representing our city and our our fan base in a good way and that we're one of the four teams on the last day standing and that we've put ourselves in that position we've earned a spot to play for Champions League so um I've said it all year there they are a bunch of winners and we love that we're going to get crack at it uh we're excited excited to have this opportunity uh you would have told us in the beginning of the year no matter how it comes we're going to be playing for a Champions League spot that's means we're doing something right uh and also with the the timing of this competition and the rhythm of things it's really nice to kind of stick to the same Cadence throughout the year play week in and week out have another week until we get back to the League match so um we're excited it'll be a lot of fun tomorrow we're going to go on questions on Zoom again if you're on Zoom please use the raise hand function and reminder that there is live interpretation at the moment we're going to go ahead and with uh Brayden uh go ahead Brayden hey guys thanks for the time Keegan what significance does this have for you given it's against your you know former club and it's in your home state it's um it's a lot of fun for me get to see some family have uh some support in the crowd in person which is always nice um as far as the team it's been a little while now I've been in Colorado for uh a good chunk of time some familiar faces with the organization still which is always nice to come back to but um I was just telling Chris on the walk over here there's no grudges you know held for being traded or anything like that like I said familiar faces are always nice to to shake hands with and see and um and they're a good team you know obviously we're in this this spot in the competition both of us means we've had a good run in this competition and um they've been good uh you know all the time that I've I've been away from the team as well so be a good challenge for us and looking forward to it um for both of you just can you explain the significance of reaching this match and starting out as the number 46 Fe and moving on to this day and then um maybe a message to the fans that have stuck with the entire uh process of leagues cup showing up to every home game um at home and then following us on the road as we as we make this journey right to the [Music] end I think for us the way this competition is structured it was such an a uh a great opportunity to be in front of the home crowd three times in a row and uh something some of those things you can't really fabricate those late dramatic wins penalties late goals um you know it makes fans out of people that maybe weren't before and uh and our our support system our fan base deserve that uh you know couple difficult years before this um had some success in the league to start and then you know this competition was a struggle for us last year but uh really entertaining for them I hope and to get one away from home after that as well um one more now that we'll need everybody's support back home there's a a lot of great images on social media all over the place with the watch parties and and that kind of support is you know we wouldn't expect anything else CU we know that at home and and how they support us but uh I know Chris talks about that's kind of what runs the club that's what everybody can feel it on the field that's that's who the club is built around and um it it's really fun to see it's fun to see the product we're putting on the field Inspire them give them energy and and it's reciprocated and um and that's what it's about so uh we'll need them for one more and and and uh hopefully they're with us tomorrow as well yeah L the significance is is huge when you think about it again we're we're one of the 47 teams that started ranked 46 with one of the last four playing on the last day um I think we've in inspired our fan base you know they've shown up in big numbers when we got to host some of the games against the Mexican clubs in some ways that goes against you you got to you got to play against the Mexican clubs but we were able to win four in a row which that's a big accomplishment I think it's historic if if not if I'm not mistaken so when you think about what it does for the fans what it does for our players that they they get validated for the work that they put in for our coaching staff the organization to to be playing against teams like Club America one of the best teams you know it's a super Club in North America right so that we went to distance with them and beat them so the in internal belief the internal joy that we're we're giving those big experiences that we're all getting to be part of I think we're all better for it um so yeah it's it's huge and uh last but certainly not least that we we have a chance to qualify for Champions League which again would be a big big step so right before the playoff push this is uh a great competition for us uh so far we do have another question from bradden uh go ahead Bren Chris if Zack Stefan has been the best Keeper in this tournament Andre Blake is definitely been the second best how does that affect your game plan and maybe your comfortability uh your level of comfort in a shootout yeah listen I uh I I I know you know Andre Blake uh from all the years in MLS he's a top goalkeeper for for club and Country and uh you know we congratulate him on another year uh looks like of just top top performances but listen I I I'd say in if it goes to a shootout you have two top goalkeepers and and uh then it's the margins get get thin again and you have to step up and do the job and and you you you hope that your goalkeeper can you know against the odds make a save or two but um Zach's been tremendous I've said it uh in the beginning of the year in the middle of the year and now he's been so steady for us he's been a real Difference Maker he's added so much to the team in terms of Quality quality and alongside Keegan leadership um experience winner you know this is what we've said about Keegan we get another one in Zach so if it goes to the shoot out we we take our chances and may the May the team that that deserves to move on go but we we have a lot of confidence in Zach in those moments you have another question from BR go ahead BR ke what is your messaging sorry I didn't know if I was muted so Keegan what has your messaging been over the past few days particularly to the backline to you know stay positive and not let what happened at LFC way too much on you guys yeah I think you know the nature of this competition there's there's been a lot of uh emotional highs from from obviously the results we had and uh and at the same time a bit of a low uh in this past match but uh my response um to questions after the game and and to the team has always been you know even in the beginning of the year we talked about not getting too high not getting too low um and that's important again uh these games come quick you have three or four days to recover um there's not really much time to to take anything more than what we need to tactically from the results that we've had couple uh things to learn from couple moments we can be better in um things that we've done well that we can also look at um and that's really it uh it lasts about a day two days we review it and um and we're quickly into the preparation for the next opponent so the team's been been great about responding all year uh when we you know don't have a result that we're typically proud of you know even to start this competition we're away in Portland with a disappointing result and um you know we come home and make amends for that and and continues to be a testament to to the group's character and and mentality and uh ability to respond in uh in tough times and we'll try to do that again tomorrow Keegan this has been a big year for you you've been a club captain and you received your second MLS Allstar selection how do it feel to play here in Philadelphia club that dropped you in 2016 again it's um a little bit of you know some nostalgic feelings even coming to the the same airport the same bus driver that picked us up whenever we uh we traveled with the team here in Philadelphia little things like that that are um you know make you smile a little bit feel like you're at home uh get give you kind of a sense of comfortability and um again having family in the crowd um seeing some family today and um just all things that bring back good memories and uh different experiences that you had with the club that are fond fond memories um yeah it's been a it's been a special year for me and and again it it uh all relates back to the team success that we've had these the you know those accolades don't come without that and it's one of the first things I said after finding out the All-Star news so um um and and here we are again you know the team has a chance to um gain something from the run that we've had in this competition in in a Champions Cup spot so um it's really it's really special to be here and and like I said familiar faces and um and family and um you know that's what that's what motivates me so it's it's really nice like we have one last question from bradden go ahead bradden guys for both of you tomorrow's result aside how much are you looking forward to a full week on to you know rest recover and prepare for the last stretch of the Season you go first you want me to go yeah you um it's been quite a ride at 2024 for the players the club myself um the staff um lot of people in this room even our extended staff working overtime working really hard so um listen specifically in this tournament um think about the pathway to got that got us here we took a a tough result in in Portland we had to win the next game we had to win four in a row to get to this point um against Mexican teams against uh Top Mexican teams we had to go on the road to lafc um and now we're on the road in Philly that's a really tough path and I'm so proud of the group they deserve some time off the staff do as well and we'll take that so we have a game a week later in Dallas we'll get through the week and then we'll have a little bit of a breather before we pick up I believe it's home against Portland two weeks later so uh no rest yet we have a lot of work to do um we got to dig deep and pull out our our our grit and get ready for tomorrow the rest will come yeah it's uh it's been a challenging stretch of games I think this will be seven in 24 25 days coming up tomorrow and but you know th that run of games is similar to the playoffs it means that you're you're advancing you're doing things right and um and that can kind of mask some of the fatigue some of the mental fatigue the challenges of traveling uh the group's never going to trade that experience for a little bit of rest midweek so um like I said before as well it's nice to kind of maintain the rhythm of playing this this entire month before we get back into a League match uh and after that we'll we'll take a little time off step away and um come back for a really important stretch last couple months are going to be super important for what we want to achieve as a team uh as as well as we feel like we've started the year and where we are in the standings it's it's really tight it always is in this league and um not for a second can we think that we've achieved anything until that last match of the year so um yeah looking forward to him and with that we'd like to conclude today's press conference thank you Chris thank you ke um and good luck in tomorrow's match up thank you thank you