BJ Callaghan & Jonathan Pérez | Post-match Media | NSH 0-2 ATX | 24-August-2024

good evening everybody we are joined by hey coach um um BJ callaham um there was a statement that was just published uh by the club if you haven't have a chance to to read it uh I'll read it for you Nashville is aware of the allegations that have surfaced regarding the use of offensive Language by one of four players the club is in close communication with mayor Le socer and other relevant party and will refrain from making any further comments until the league concludes his investigation into the the incident so please uh defer from asking any question regarding that topic uh coach uh your thoughts on today's game we wanted to put start putting together positive performances um and I I think tonight when we look at the overall performance uh we can be happy with it I think the the result that we have we have to be disappointed in the way we conceded goals um and I think you know and the way that we uh you know lost the match uh so at which at the at the end of the day that's what we're here to do is to win the matches so you know I would say it's a disappointed locker room um but I think there's a you know when when we're looking to build and looking to sort of create this identity here I think there was a lot of positive moments in the game and a couple really positive performances by players uh BJ I'm not asking about the incident but did did whatever happen affect the play in any way in your opinion yeah of course I mean I think in the first 30 minutes of the game there was a lot to happened right we were able to earn a penalty kick um unfortunately we don't convert and then we have the incident on the field and I think it just you know immediately you start to have to adjust making you know positional changes and and sometimes that's going to you know disrupt the group um but overall I I thought there was a period that we you know had to resettle and kind of get used to it and then the guys responded great you from that point forward they contined to respond really really well and I mean I I can only credit the the guys for the the commitment uh to each other and to the game uh when you know there was a a lot of even the penalty that happens and how long the delay is like right out of the gate it it it certainly was a a disjointed start to the game and I I still think they put in a really good a really good shift BJ I kind of wanted to ask about the penalty and then obviously with everything that went on on the field I mean it just felt like there was a lot of going on that required FOC I mean keeping Focus um but then also I'm sure you were trying to figure stuff out and tweak things on the flight just kind of walk us through that first 35 40 minutes however long it was um and then maybe kind of how did you try to reset things at halftime once you guys had a chance to maybe calm down a little bit Yeah I was really happy with this way we started the game um so you know I thought the the the match plan that we put out was was effective we were starting to create chances and we earned the penalty kick um and I you know I thought the the way we were defending the way we were pressing the way we were winning second balls was was all really you know really positive um I think the incident happens there's these delays and for us uh you're right there was a lot of like adjusting happening and so it was just about giving as much clear and concise information as we can as guys had to change positions Alex mule had to go from basically playing left wing into Center Midfield um Johnny Perez gets an opportunity to come in and play rightwing um who I think had a tremendous performance tonight bright spot of the game and then Jacob has to go from right wing to left wing so yeah there's a you know the relationships everything we work on during the week gets gets uh you know a little bit twisted is the best way to say it um you know but I think as as a group we talk about one of our anchors is being respond being able to respond we don't want to be reactors we want to be responders and uh I think you you saw that tonight once guys got you know their bearings uh a group group that remained committed again BJ I wanted to ask about just the difficulty of stepping into this midseason and kind of turning things when things haven't been going well last month during that stretch before you came in how involved were you in those weeks how involved could you be in those weeks and do you feel like you're you're you're still behind the curve I guess and getting this where you want it to be we're we're establishing a long-term Vision here for for for the club um so I mean we're just at the the beginning and and a process of of change is takes a takes a long time um but like you said where we are in the season like we have a really we have the short-term objective we don't hide behind that short-term objective which is we want to make the playoffs and and We Know by having good consistent performances that will you know that will happen um and again I thought we created enough opportunities tonight to score goals to win the game conversely we we the way we concede it is not good enough that's on that that's on all of us um and we have to go back and look at it um you know so I think you know from from afar prior to getting here I was able to observe um I think that was a really important um piece uh to make sure that when we got here that the we were able to hit the ground running and I think you know we've played three matches here and I think there's been Improvement in all three matches BJ uh you told us in U if I'm not mistaken in one of our conversations with you that uh sometimes a team plays poorly and wins a game sometimes clearly and sometimes the team plays well and and and loses a game uh almost tragically what do you rate what do you put that game today yeah that I mean I think we we played a game where the performance was good enough to win the game uh we had a few moments that that we we lapsed um that that's unacceptable um we have to learn from it we have to improve it um and you have to give credit to Austin they were able to they were able to C they were able to count uh I it's not going say count capitalize on on those moments um again they're a well organized team they were you know a well prepared team tonight um and they found their moments uh to score and we we're still going to you know we're still going to continue to work to to find that to find those goals uh BJ what did you um you know make of Jonathan Perez you know coming in just you know coming in cold you know you know in the first half after seon I guess just just the way you know fit into the attack yeah I think there's two pieces to Johnny Perez's performance tonight I think there's the on the field piece um where it was clear that he has the ability to to beat Defenders uh in multiple ways um he can play it through combination play he can play it through one-on-one and and go into the right he can do it by coming into the left um and his vision to to to see the whole field is is remarkable markone I don't think it's lost on how young of a player um he is and you know how few MLS total minutes that he has so I think that's a really bright spot on the field I think it's also needs to be mentioned the the professionalism of a young player like that to be able to step in in right around 30 minutes um you know and to be prepared to do that that's a sign of of true professionalism you know a lot of times you can think okay I'm not going to warm up great because I'm not going in until the second half but for him to be prepared mentally off the field the week of training to understand the role that he was going to be put in even though he probably you know maybe thought he was going to be using as a substitute role and essentially kind of played in a starter role uh a just a tremendous credit to his professionalism off the field to be prepared to make the most of his moment and sees that moment I know you had kind of talked about wanting to get see the team get the ball in the Box more um it felt like I mean first of all it felt like that happened a lot and there were a lot of moments where you were looking for kind of like a cutback pass that didn't quite come off um how do you kind of balance feeling like a lot of the a lot of the pieces were there well also kind of wanting to be able to find kind of the missing piece in the Finish yeah I mean the way we work is that we're pretty process oriented so I think we're we're pleased with the idea that we are getting in those positions to make those uh plays happen uh we just need to continue to to sort of uh you know pound the repetitions to get the timings right to get the you know the technique right the service right um but you know I think we have a confident group in the direction that we're heading we're we're committed to and like I said I think when it when we finally you know get that feeling of hitting the back of the net uh you know I think it'll only be uh you know another great step forward for this group is putting in a lot of work right now PJ you uh switched out uh Josh Bower and Walker Zimmerman from their usual uh sides um and so I'm just curious what what was the reason behind that and also if you can just a light on what Jack mayor has to do to get back into the starting lineup uh talk about sorry you talking about with Walker and Josh switching sides Walker's on the left and Josh's on the right seen yeah I mean but I think Walker Walker from us is a is plays on the right a large majority of the time obviously if he's paired with Josh maybe it's a little bit different um yeah so for me it's just I think Josh is is capable of playing both sides so is Walker so it was just a little bit also for you know you know we had you know I think Josh is a really good Defender um does well to cover in the channels and we you know they obviously had uh the new DP Winger barari out there so I think think also being able to provide cover um for him and I think both of those guys did a really really good job tonight uh listen Jack Jack's doing great you know um it's a great problem for us to have is that we have three center backs they all deserving to start um and I think as you've seen the rotations that have happened over the last three games you know our plan is to continue to you know have guys compete for positions and you know um at the same time there's going to be moments for everyone to step up just like you you know tonight wasn't an for center backs to step up but there was a lot of positions for other guys to step up and having that good healthy competition in the group is going to be great for everybody and push us you know push the whole club forward thanks hello welcome back everybody we are now joined by Jonathan per who uh started for Nashville maor Le soccer today uh your thoughts on your debut or your major league soccer debut with major leue so with uh Nashville c um well I just want to say uh uh I'm very excited uh that I got the opportunity today to to play and um I just did my best out there and um I try to do everything I could to help the team you know make a difference and also um uh CAU me by surprise you know how how I really had to come in but um I just had to be very uh very focused and and just you know block everything that was going on and and just had one Focus was just to go in there and just do my best and make a difference hey Jonathan I'm Ben right with broadway sports media nice to meet you yeah welcome to Nashville BJ kind of mentioned just how impressed he was with your professionalism just obviously coming in earlier than kind of anybody expected yeah um what was that kind of process like for you obviously getting called into the game pretty early when maybe you weren't expecting it until the second half um for me uh I mean I was just this whole day just really focus on uh what I was going to do today on the field and and just be ready just be I don't think uh this was anything new to me I me I was just on the sideline just really thinking about the game and really preparing myself um I was looking at Austin see how they're playing and just imagin myself what I would do if I were to go in so um when they called me I think I was really really prepared and really focused um it wasn't I wasn't nervous or anything like that it was just like okay they called me up and I just got to step up hey there uh valer shabo with barway sports as well um first of all do you prefer to be called Jonathan or Johnny I've heard both uh doesn't matter okay um can you just tell the Nashville fans I a lot of them are unfamiliar with your game game just can you describe what type of Winger you are and sort of what what is your sort of main um inspiration maybe in the game and and how do you how do you see soccer as a whole um for me uh the type of player I'd say and describe myself is just a like a technical player um I like to get the ball to my feet um sometimes I go into the space you know make runs but preferably I like to have the ball on my feet and try to make something out of it um uh I'm pretty aggressive um each time I get the ball I always want to go forward uh I always want to uh create something shoot uh get a cross off something uh do combinations um I mean I just when I get the ball I just want to go score uh that's pretty much the type of player I am and and yeah Johnny uh cloud yov from Nashville Total Sports it seems like in a few weeks uh that's all it's been you make some radical changes from LA to Nashville uh from the team that you were playing at or trying to be a starter with there and then you come to this group and and and another radical change uh anyway you see it coming into a game that you were not ready to to go at that point it looks like you were very ready by by the way you look playing but uh everything seems to be like a very very radical from one woman to another how being so young has uh uh how what was prepared you to all these changes in in such such a few weeks um I think um I think in training uh the coaching the coaching staff I think they really uh uh prepared me and and my teammates as well um but also I think it goes back to back in back in La as well I think uh uh my teammates back home uh really prepared me and and really uh put that with me that um that I that to come in and make a difference and even even from the beginning today I had uh one of few of the coaching staff told me as well that to be ready and and um just be be prepared and just be focused on on today's game and uh I think from my age that time point I don't really think it doesn't matter um I'm just like another player like everyone else and you know this is this is what I this is what I I love to do so um just go out there and just do my best and just perform that's that's all that I have in [Music] mind yeah uh Jonathan Jacob shames with the Tennessee and um you know you came over from you know the Galaxy around the same time BJ Callahan comes in as you know head coach I guess how did the 18 days off you know since she played New England give give the team the chance to really maybe grow into and kind of learn a little bit more about what BJ's you know his vision for the club and what he's trying to get this the team to do um I think um throughout the 18 days uh we made a lot of progress and I think that I think everyone um obviously is going to take some time and little by little but I think the team has really done a lot of a lot of progress in what how BJ BJ style would play and how the team how he sees the team and how he wants us to play and I think uh I think the the team is is uh going the right direction and really understanding how how BJ wants us to play and I think um you know the more the more games that that we play and I think we'll see a lot of improvements along the way but what I said is probably going to you know take some time but as well we will also want to want to win games so I think um the way BJ wants us to play I think um I think the team really sees how how he wants us to play and and we just got to execute that thank you guys [Applause] uh