Coach’s Quotes: Some from RSL need to step up, Petke says

On going down early to SKC

Our plan was to manage the first 15 minutes and then from there things should open up. We did that and then the 17th minute we let up a preventable goal. We had a lot of the play after that and we just couldn’t convert.

Then in the second half, we give up another goal which I have some questions about, but I don’t want to say anything because I don’t want to get fined but there were some question marks on that goal. We give up the second goal and then we are treading water and coming behind in a place like Kansas City which is not easy to play in. So we didn’t do ourselves any favors tonight.

First, I don’t know what he’s talking about with the goal. On replay, it looked like everything was pretty on the level, as far as officiating is concerned.

But that’s not particularly important. He’ll re-watch that and see whatever is there to be seen, and if I’ve missed a foul or something, or maybe Petke thought Dom Dwyer committed a handball on the play. I don’t think he did, for the record.

Still, he’s right: Once were behind two goals, our night was done. There wasn’t any coming back for us. Maybe there could have been — or should have been — but that’s where we’re at now.

On the state of the team

It’s tough to keep talking about progress losing two games in a row now. Personally, it’s tough to swallow, but it’s not an overnight change. This is a long term process. We have some good players and we have some players that need to step up ...

While he’s done well here to not name names — that’s not the sort of thing we need around the team right now — Mike Petke is absolutely right that some players need to step up.

... but at the end of the day to look up and see the stats, and I guess I’m becoming more of stats guy now because when you lose two games you have to look for some positives, but again we outshot them but a bulk of them weren’t on goal. We had a bit of the play but we fell behind and we were just trying to chase after that.

Yep.

On the team without Beckerman, Rimando

It’s no excuse whatsoever. When we lose guys like that, it’s other guys’ opportunities to step up. I thought Sunny and Luke [Mulholland], for large parts of the game did well for us both defensively for us and in the transition to offense. Having said that, any time you come out losing 3-0 it’s tough to look for positives, but there were some.

Yeah, there’s not really anything to say about that. It’s the second time, though, he talked about players needing to step up, and it’s clear he’s not pleased with some of the team. This should be interesting.

Quotes were provided via an RSL Communications press release.