Head Coach Chris Armas
What are some takeaways from the matchup with Portland that you want to apply to the upcoming match with Nashville SC?
There's some tactical things, our structure and attack has to be better organized. Not for if we lose the ball, it's when we lose the ball, we have to have this mindset to counter press and have quick reactions. But a structure that sets us up for success there. We want to have urgency from the start. It was tough to recover, you're eight minutes in and you're down a goal, and before you know it, it's a real uphill battle. We want to make sure from the start we're ready to go play on the front foot, especially on dead ball situations. We give a few goals and counter attacks from a goal kick or a free kick and in these moments we shut off instead of really coming alive. So that's what will we learn from that game, it'll be something that we keep implementing into our team. But there's so much to work on, we take a few things from that game. There's so many little layers to what we're trying to build here that we're excited that we have the four-day lead-in and it will be closer to what it should look like on Saturday.
Despite the scoreline on Saturday the Rapids created 11 chances in front of the goal--what are they keys to getting those chances in the back of the net this weekend?
We created some chances on Saturday. We created some chances at 0-0, at 1-0, at 2-0 and then all of a sudden it's three...We're using data and analytics to help our guys get closer to goal and to help us score. Of course in training we're always in and around goal, lots of finishing. Some of it's positional, some of it's technical work we do with the individual to try to get get us more goals. In preseason we scored a lot of goals. The other night we scored another goal and it was important that we did, just that we showed a real fight there, but I'm not concerned at that because I believe we can score. It's always going to be something important to do and it's hard to do. I really want to get the other side of it right-- if we don't concede we I think we put ourselves in a better spot.
You're entering your first home opener as a part of the Rapids, what are you looking forward to?
We just we just experienced the other end of it, where that's not an easy environment to play [away]. We want Nashville to feel that environment. We know we will have that with our fans. They're loud, they get behind the team. We want to give them something to be cheering about and excited about by the way we play and in the way we go after this game. I'm excited for this home opener, getting our team in front of the fans, getting our fans excited, getting our players excited, throwing everything at Saturday's match, and getting three points.
Midfielder Djordje Mihailovic
How do you feel like you were able to gel into the midfield in your first competitive minutes with your teammates against Portland?
I still think there's work to be done. That's no secret. But starting from when we started preseason to that game was completely different. It was much better, and that's naturally going to keep improving that way.
Despite the scoreline on Saturday the Rapids created 11 chances in front of the goal--what are the keys to getting those chances in the back of the net this weekend?
Honestly, the biggest positive is that we have those chances and we create those chances and then maybe on some other day those are gonna go in and the score could be 4-4, who knows? You never know. We have to stay level-headed right now, this first game of the season had a bad score line but there's a long season ahead of us.
Since leaving MLS and returning a year later, what have you seen in terms of changes to the league?
The quality is much higher, teams are putting money into top players and it's only going to improve the league in general. It also improves each player to perform at their best level.
You're entering your first home opener as a part of the Rapids, what are you looking forward to?
That's exciting. I know how much passion they have for the club. And we have to reward them with some some good performances and wins.
