Postgame Quotes

Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah and forward Dariusz Formella adressed media members following Rising’s U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 match

Phoenix Rising bowed out of the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in the Round of 32, falling to Houston Dynamo FC by a score of 4-1 on May 7 at Phoenix Rising Stadium. Rising fought for 90 minutes to send the game into extra time, where it ran out of gas in the final 30 minutes. Following the match, Rising Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah and forward Dariusz Formella discussed the team’s Open Cup run, the fight the team showed, moving forward and more.

HEAD COACH PA-MODOU KAH

General emotions about the players playing against MLS opposition…
“I mean, they gave it their all, and that’s the only thing that you hope to see, that they fight. They played toe-to-toe with them, to be fair, you know.”

Team’s personal progression as a whole…
“You see it as a missed opportunity, because we created many chances to win that game, and maybe then you could have that opportunity to rest someplace. If you look at the whole 90 minutes, I think it’s something that we’re going to build on and be very proud of.”

Team’s performance carrying into the rest of the season…
“The performance that these players are making, and how they’re growing every day is the best thing that is about football since growth is going to carry us for the rest of the season. I do not doubt that once we get fully healthy, we’ll get to see these players in the positions that we all need them to be.”

FORWARD DARIUSZ FORMELLA

On his overall thoughts on the match…
“We lost after extra time, it’s painful, it’s difficult to swallow, because all the effort goes for nothing. We didn’t deserve to lose four, one, I think, but [in] the second half. We had to take a little bit risk…to take [a] chance and try to create something.”

On competing with MLS team…
“It was good for the team that we showed to ourselves, to the fans, like we can compete with MLS teams and go to extra time. But right now, I don’t know the game finished three minutes ago, so it’s difficult for me to say something smart and swallow this pill. It’s tough.”

On how he is feeling physically…
“Yeah, it was difficult. You can imagine the game in Colorado, [with] altitude, tough game. Also 1-1, it’s much more difficult to recover when you don’t get the results… you recover, completely different when you win. So, it’s also mentally not that easy, but we have to keep going. We have to break it, our time has to come, and we have to work for it. So, yeah, physically demanding week.”

Rising come up short in USL Jägermeister Cup opener against San Antonio FC on April 26

Phoenix Rising played its first-ever match in USL Jägermeister Cup competition, coming up short against San Antonio FC by a score of 1-0 on April 26. Following the match Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah and midfielder Carl Sainté discussed the defeat, moving forward and bouncing back in league play.

HEAD COACH PA-MODOU KAH

General thoughts on the match… 
“I think we had some decent moments, but we didn’t get a shot on target today. It was a little bit disappointing. I think one moment that could have maybe changed the game was offside call in the first half.” 

On Carl Sainté’s performance … 
“He’s played that role before, and it’s not new to him, and I think today, he played very good, which is credit to him, he was having a little bit of struggle, but he came out of the struggle, which is great to see. And I think he provided a lot physical for us.” 

On Casey Walls’ situation with the club… 
“Well with Casey, I mean, he came to me, he talked to me, and he has announced his retirement. And the reason for it is because, for the past two, three years, he had lost the joy in the game. And he felt that that was the right choice, and I support him 100% because, again, terrific young man, which I wish I had the more time to train him. I saw him play as a 16-year-old, and I always liked him, but I’m very happy for him, because in our sport, sometimes we don’t know what people put him, and I think it’s very important that, again, that we allow people to do what they want to do, because sometimes we feel like people need to be something. But he changed his dream…he felt it was time for him to do something outside football, and I support him, and clubs support him for 100%.” 

MIDFIELDER CARL SAINTÉ

On his overall thoughts on the match… 
“I think it was for me personally, I think we did a really good job, (in) the first half. I feel like the second half we kind of started, like, a little bit slow, but I think all we have to do (is) the game, it’s already passed. We have to keep our heads up in the transit process. And I think everything will work out.” 

On challenges from switching positions … 
“I mean, for me, personally, I feel like it’s really helped me because I see the team before I see myself…I feel like, wherever the coach want to put me, I’m willing to play because I just want to win.” 

On adjusting following Pape Mar Boye’s injury… 
“It’s someone that I (have known), a long time ago I’ve been playing with him, like, I know him, but I mean, like losing Pape, it’s, it was a big loss for us at the game.” 

Jearl Margaritha scores in fourth straight match, Rémi Cabral finishes with first-career multi-assist match

Phoenix Rising wrapped up a three-match week with a comeback result, turning a two-goal deficit into a 2-2 draw against Sacramento Republic FC on April 19 at Phoenix Rising Stadium. Following the match, Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah and forwards Rémi Cabral and Damián Rivera spoke with reporters about the comeback, finishing a long week and building off the result.

HEAD COACH PA-MODOU KAH

General thoughts on the match…
“I’m super proud. As a footballer myself, I know what it’s like to play three games in a week, with one of them going 120 minutes away. I think that shows the mental capacity of the group and willingness to fight. Being down 2-0, 2-1. I’m super proud of these boys, it was unbelievable.”

On Jearl Margaritha’s goal and overall performance…
“I’m very happy with his performance. Once again, we demanded a lot of him and he demanded a lot of himself. He’s progressing in the right way and taking his chances. That’s what we’re asking him to be. More lethal, more efficient. He showed it. Today, he scored a goal. There were many instances where he played a big part.”

On the team’s resiliency to come back from two goals down…
“Nobody’s going to feel sorry for you. Nobody is going to feel sorry for us. We know what we signed up for and this is part of the game. We talk about being mentally strong, about being resilient, showing character. I think we have been showing it all through this year. You always want three points at home, but this point will go a long way after the long week we have had.”

FORWARD RÉMI CABRAL

On his overall thoughts on the match…
“It was a difficult game, especially with having the Wednesday U.S. Open Cup game. We played 120 minutes and came back on Saturday to play at 1 in the afternoon. It wasn’t easy, but I think the team had a really good reaction to show the character we have. It could have been better, but to come back from 2-0 isn’t easy, especially with heavy legs.”

On assisting on Damian Rivera’s goal…
“I’m really happy for Damian. (The goal) is going to take his confidence higher, because we know we’re going to need everyone on the team. The guys on the bench are going to finish the game. As coach says, they’re the finishers. They’re going to help us.”

On playing with the other attackers on the front line…
“I like to play with them. Everyone likes to play with good players, and obviously they’re really good. You can tell we have many weapons in front and in midfield. I enjoy playing and training with them everyday.”

On the feeling in the locker room following a three-match week…
“We know this is our job. Some weeks are harder than others. I’m proud of everyone because it’s not easy to play in the afternoon in the sun. To be down 2-0, especially. I’m really proud of everyone to come back to make it 2-2. Obviously, we wanted the win, but it was good to keep the momentum right and now we’ll come back next week.”

FORWARD DAMIÁN RIVERA

On his overall thoughts on the match…
“We started off slow. We had to build ourselves into the game and we kept improving as the game went on. We took advantage of a couple of our chances and were unlucky not to get the three points.”

On scoring the equalizing goal…
“It was huge for us. Rémi (Cabral) saw me, I tried to finish the chance, and I did. I was really happy, and it gave us momentum. We wanted the third goal but were unfortunate not to get it.”

On how he feels on the ball…
“Confidence. Not just for me, but for the team as well. We were unlucky not to get the third goal.”

On the messages he receives from Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah…
“I had a little bit of a knock in my thigh, which didn’t help me. I have been managing it the last few weeks and Pa told me to come in and make a spark today, and I did.”

Jearl Margaritha scored his second goal of 2025, while Patrick Rakovsky saved two penalties

Playing with 10 men for a large chunk of the second half and all of added time, Phoenix Rising held tough to see the match into penalty kicks and ultimately advance to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 following a 1-1 draw against FC Tulsa on April 16 at Hurricane Soccer and Track Stadium.

Following the match, Rising Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah discussed his team’s resilience and relishing the moment, while goalkeeper Patrick Rakovsky discussed his late-game heroics and maintaining momentum to close out a three-match week.

HEAD COACH PA-MODOU KAH

General thoughts on the match…
“What an unbelievable performance from the whole group. An unbelievable performance from the staff. It shows the character and resilience that this group possess. Things didn’t go the way we wanted it, but these are the victories that will push the team forward. We’re going to use it as momentum for us going forward.”

On balancing substitutions with multiple matches…
“We have to take in the moment of what we did today. So far in the season, things have not gone our way. The boys gave it all, which shows how fit they are. That’s also thanks to our performance coach Devon (Manifold), because they are fit and showed it today. The subs were pushed, the players that were in were pushed. The whole group went deep-down to push for this victory and that was incredible.”

On Patrick Rakovsky’s performance…
“We know together with Triston (Henry) and Patrick, they are two of the best keepers we have in this league. Again, it showed. It showed the capability that Patrick has, and we hope he can kick on, together with Triston, to keep leading and guiding this team.”

GOALKEEPER PATRICK RAKOVSKY

On his overall thoughts on the match…

“Overall, we had a good game. The start was very difficult, and the wind was very strong heading against us, so we had to play out of the back. In the second half, we had the wind at our backs which made it much easier to play out a little better. We scored the first goal and I feel we could have scored two or three goals this game.

We were unlucky with the red card, but it should not happen. I felt the team dealt with it well. We were defending good and unlucky with the goal before the end. After that, we knew we had to defend really well, and we did. (Tulsa) played 50 minutes with one man more. They didn’t create a lot of chances, only two chances really. I saved the PK, which gave us the momentum and then we were ice-cold in front of the box and scored all the penalties. It was awesome.”

On the importance of bouncing back with a win Wednesday night…
“This should give us huge momentum to the next game. It’s not like we played bad. Last game there were five minutes where we weren’t there, but other than that we played really well. Now, with this game, we should have great momentum to go into the next game, play in front of our home fans and get that first win.”

On preparing quickly for a weekend match…
“We travel back (to Phoenix), then it’s all about recovery. It’s good we play in three days again. I’m really happy we can play again and don’t need to wait another week.”

Goals by Collin Smith and Hope Avayevu weren’t enough for Rising to notch its first home win of 2025

Phoenix Rising scored late in the first half and doubled its lead in the second, but a late offensive surge by visitors Detroit City FC were enough to prevent Rising from celebrating a home victory for the first time this season.

Following the match, Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah and defender Collin Smith broke down the 3-2 defeat Saturday night at Phoenix Rising Stadium.

HEAD COACH PA-MODOU KAH

General thoughts on the match…
“A little bit shocked. A massive, massive lesson. We basically gave away the game.”

On where the game went wrong…
“Game Management. We know 2-0 is the most difficult lead in football, but that was not a game to allow them to come back in. A little bit of desire was needed. Unfortunately, today we took a step back in our progress.”

The team’s second-half substitutions…
“You make subs and the subs were right, and our thing has nothing to do with the subs because we get the goal and assist from DJ. That means we did, but I think there’s just that little bit of responsibility and accountability that we are still gaining through our process. These are games that when you are up two-zero, you don’t allow the opposition to come back in the game.”

On defender Casey Wall’s debut…
“I think it was solid. We didn’t lose because of Casey. We lost as a team, but I was happy with a little bit of the things that we’ve seen from him. Hopefully, he can give us more.”

On the game plan of how to use Remi Cabral tonight…
“As we counted them, the switch of play was always on. For me, when you have a switch of play, you need to have tempo on the ball. I don’t think the tempo in the first half was very good for me. One of the things that I saw that I didn’t like today was body language and belief.”

On his message to the fans after the frustrating loss…
“The fans want to see a team. We want to see a team. This is a part of the progress. I know what the boys can do, and for me, I rally everybody to be behind the team. Their voices and their frustration are great because they believe and want this team to do better. So do we. It’s going to take moving in the right direction and working together to create a team that they can be proud of.

At this moment, there’s a lot of progress made, but also there’s a little bit of progress that still has to be made. Obviously, not the result we wanted, but let me know when you see a team that the title is given out after six games.”

DEFENDER COLLIN SMITH

On his overall thoughts of the game…
“It’s definitely great to score my first goal. Unfortunately, we didn’t end up getting the win, but we’ve trained really hard on working together as a team, and as a whole, in order to create chances. I feel like we did that, but obviously we came off a little bit unlucky. We weren’t too mature with how to really maintain that lead. And so obviously it cost us.”

On the team’s overall strategy entering the game…
“(Counterattacking) is one of the things we’ve worked on for sure,” Smith said. “We work on several things in order to be effective in the games. Then once gametime comes, it’s on us to be able to work on what we worked on in training and exploit the team in the ways that we feel like we can exploit them.”

On if Detroit earned the win or was it team lapses that lost the game…
“I think it’s the maturity of the group, because we’ve been in games where we started behind and luckily this game we started ahead. Now we just have to be smart enough to really manage the game. Maybe in those moments, go to the corner, do the things that are necessary to keep that lead.”

On if maturity is a point of improvement going into the weekend…
“(Maturity) is definitely high on the priority list. I feel we’ve got enough games under our belt where we’ve faced a lot of obstacles, and now that we’ve faced those, that should only prepare us.”

On his first goal and team chemistry…
“There’s a lot of togetherness in the group, a lot of camaraderie, everyone’s bought in, everyone’s with each other, we’re all just as tight as the next. All that’s there. It’s now about once we get in the game, that’s when we have when we have to pick our moments to maybe have a go at each other. Maybe be a little bit more serious with each other, and that’s when it shows in the game.”

On his goal…
“(Margaritha) doing his thing, one-v-one. That’s one of his strengths. Once we get him the ball, we kind of know that he’s going to beat his guy. Then for me personally, once I saw he got the ball, I was like, ‘Hey, I go to get there, because I feel like it’s going to get there somehow, with his strength, beating the guy one on one.’ Then obviously I ran in there.

Next thing I knew the ball came into me, and I thought I was going to fly through the net. I was ready. I was waiting for that one. I was ready for that one. Super excited to be able to get that and of course, Margaritha doing his thing. Super appreciative of him too and the whole group. Now we just have to clean up the small mistakes to turn it into a win.”

Rising picks up its first win under Pa-Modou Kah, knocks off previously-undefeated San Antonio FC

Phoenix Rising finally has its first statement result of the 2025 season, and first under new Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah. Defeating previously-unbeaten San Antonio FC 2-1 on April 6 at Toyota Field, Rising took advantage of a national TV audience to display what it can look like when clicking–– and playing with a lead.

Following Sunday’s matinee match, Kah addressed the club’s grit, attacking style and the feeling of taking home three points for the first time in 2025.

HEAD COACH PA-MODOU KAH

General thoughts on the match…
“It was a great game from the boys. A resilient group showed what we’re capable of. We have faced a little adversity with injuries as well as a flight delay yesterday. I’m super proud of the boys’ resilience. They never for once showed any doubt in their quality and belief. This is their victory. They deserved it.”

On getting and defending a lead in the second half…
“I saw a team that managed the game well. They were very clever and slowed it down, played to their strengths. If I’m being picky, we could have had a couple of moments in transition. Rémi (Cabral) missed a shot. I think the team did well. For 20-30 minutes they managed the game how we wanted them to.”

On what he learns from a match like Sunday…
“You learn about a team’s grit. About resilience. You learn about the determination and desire to come together as a group. They have done it all year, but today’s performance really showcased the group.”

On the attack clicking…
“What we’re trying to implement is dominant football. A team that is looking to be on the front-foot, trying to win games and score goals, because goals win you games.”

Rising come back from early deficit, but fall short against one of USL’s most in-form squads

Forward Ihsan Sacko notched his third goal contribution of the season, while forward Rémi Cabral got back on the scoresheet, but it wasn’t enough for Phoenix Rising to return home from Northern California with three points as it fell 3-1 to Monterey Bay FC at Cardinale Stadium on March 29.

Following the match, Rising Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah spoke to another early comeback, his young players receiving minutes, the French connection in attack and more.

HEAD COACH PA-MODOU KAH

General thoughts on the match…
“I wouldn’t say it was a slow start, but we concede again. I enjoyed that in the first two minutes everyone was on top of the game. Obviously, on the free kick we have to do better 100%, but the fact the team showed character to come back again… I think we could have utilized more the transition moments that we had in the first half, but we didn’t.

I think there was nothing in the game until the red card and you concede from the red card, again you concede from a set play, which at this moment is hurting our team. We have to get better, and we will continue to get better, but the work the boys have been putting in, we’re very happy with them.

Again, you have a guy like Braxton (Montgomery) who comes in and he was immense in the back line today. He didn’t put a foot wrong, so I was happy with his performance.”

On Rémi Cabral and Ihsan Sacko’s attacking contributions so far this season…
“It has been great. They are forming a great understanding amongst themselves, and they do great. For us, it’s about keeping them together so that they can create more of a partnership, more of a relationship and understanding among themselves, but we have to keep going, believe in it and get better.”

On seeing Pierce Rizzo and Cyrus Kowall make their professional debuts…
“We were 3-1 down with five minutes to go. There’s not a better way to introduce those kids and I think they did well. Jamison (Ping) was brilliant as well when he came in. He got stuck in. Again, this is a process and for us the process is going step-by-step. No trophies are given out in March, so we just keep going and we’ll make sure we’re there in November.”

Rising come from behind twice to earn its first home point of 2025

For a second week in a row, Phoenix Rising came from behind to earn a valuable early-season point. Following the club’s 2-2 draw against Rhode Island FC on March 22, Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah, forward Ihsan Sacko and midfielder Hope Avayevu spoke to the team’s slow starts, an attack finding its momentum and scoring goals at home.

HEAD COACH PA-MODOU KAH

General thoughts on the match…
“The first five minutes were poor. We got smacked in the face. It took us five-to-ten minutes to react, then we get the goal, and again a little bit of a switch-off. The second half began much better, but we have to make sure we’re ready to go from the get-go.”

On the team’s recent slow starts…
“If I knew then we would have started better. I mean that’s the beauty of the game for me. The biggest thing is it’s a process, right? So, a process is going to take time, but we have to start better.”

On starting Jamison Ping and its impact on other young players…
“(Ping) has worked his tail off in the preseason, and he’s worked himself into being a starter with JP (Scearce) and Carl (Sainté) out. So he fully deserves it. I hope (other young teammates) show the hunger and desire to even want to take his spot. That’s the way it should be, because for us to be that football club that we want to be, we also have to look within ourselves and give the opportunities. Because I know there’s a lot of great young, young footballers running around in Phoenix, even in our academy. So for us it’s about utilizing that because you are as good as your academy.”

On the performance of the wingers…
“It’s what you want from your wings to score goals and assist. We were very pleased with Damian (Rivera) scoring a goal because he has been dangerous. He could have had two (goals), and him in those positions, yeah you expect him to score because he shows and do it at training. But we are happy for him to get his first goal and I think he’s just going to keep growing from there. Like I said, we are getting our strikers to score goals, which is very important for this group.”

FORWARD IHSAN SACKO

On his thoughts on the match…
“I think today, it was a good game for the forwards. We missed some occasions, but I think it’s all about the duels. We didn’t win a lot of the duels in the first half. I think the team was so confident about this for the first and second half, and then I think we have to be more efficient in the last 15 meters. We will work this week on being more clinical and fix it for the next game.”

On where he likes to play…
“To be honest, I can play everywhere. I don’t have a special position. If the coach puts me at nine or on the right or left wing it is the same for me. I just want to be on the pitch and help my team win.”

On playing up top with Jearl Margaritha…
“We don’t usually play a lot together. I think in the future, we will play a lot together, and it will be fun. I enjoy playing with him because I love him and I know we can make a difference together.”

MIDFIELDER HOPE AVAYEVU

General thoughts on the match…
“I think we didn’t start the game in the right way, but obviously we are a team. We talk about it, so we came back with a mentality to win a game. Even though we didn’t win, we got a point at home, which we will take. It’s good, its good to score goals at home. But obviously we want to win at the end of the day.”

On the team struggling early…
“That’s a good question. We want to start the game on the front foot. We want to score the first goal and second and the third. But it has been really hard, and I think we still are talking to each other about it. That is something we need to work on more. But obviously it’s just a game. Sometimes it happens, but we will get comfortable with each other, then we’re going to work on it and go after the first goal the next game.”

With eight combined goals –including one from midfield–, a three-goal second half comeback and a player debut, Rising’s 4-4 draw against El Paso Locomotive FC on March 15 didn’t lack for storylines. Shortly after the match, Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah and defender Mohamed Traore spoke to the chaotic 90 minutes of action in West Texas.

HEAD COACH PA-MODOU KAH

On his thoughts on the match…

“We showed character. It’s not easy going down 2-0, 2-1 then 3-1 right off the bat. I think character is what these boys have shown and for me I’m very happy. You could have given up, but they didn’t. So I’m very happy and pleased with what they showed. We’re moving in the right direction.

On the team’s defense early…

“We were a little sloppy on the ball, which gave those transitional moments. I think we could have been better controlling the game, but two goals off set pieces, I’m not thrilled with that because I think we could have done better. Again, being able to come back 4-1 down and even having the possibility to win it 5-4 I think speaks a lot to our group.”

On having Noble Okello’s presence on set pieces...

“With his size we expect him to score a couple of goals and he started it today. For us, it’s just to contiunue working on him getting in those positions. I’m also very happy that Rémi (Cabral) and (Ihsan) Sacko also got on the scoresheet and obviously a wonder-goal from Mo (Traore). We saw one in the intersquad (scrimmage), but for him to be able to do it, it’s a tremendous goal.”

On the importance of both Cabral and Sacko opening their season scoring accounts…

“It means a lot for the strikers because you want them to score. (Cabral) had an opportunity to make it 5-4. It’s a compliment to the boys that deserve this comeback because I think we generally controlled and played the game. This is football, so I’m very happy we were able to come back.”

DEFENDER MOHAMED TRAORE

On his game-tying goal from midfield…

“It was more like a clearance, but I will take the goal. I’m very happy to score my first goal for the club and hopefully we’ll keep going like this. It was a solid performance on the road for the boy, so we just have to keep building on it.”

On what the comeback says about the character of the group…

“We started a little slow, but toward the end, in the second half, we showed our character and identity. We’ll just keep building on it and hopefully this second game is a positive one to build on.”

On defending in transitional moments…

“We expected it. We know how every team plays. This is the game we like, we work hard for. There was adversity with everything and I think we did pretty well.”

Following Phoenix Rising’s 1-0 defeat to FC Tulsa on March 8, Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah, goalkeeper Patrick Rakovsky and forward Damian Rivera spoke about the match, Kah’s first night in charge and bouncing back ahead of the team’s upcoming trip to El Paso, Texas.

HEAD COACH PA-MODOU KAH

General thoughts on the match…

“We started a little bit slow in the first half, but we picked it up in the second half. Obviously, it’s the first game of the season. In the second half I was more pleased than I was with the first half. It’s something to build on because one thing I know about this game is that it’s never a sprint, it’s a marathon.”

On the team’s slow start…

“It’s normal. You know it’s the first game, real game, real test and it was a game of feeling. We were feeling them they were feeling us. Obviously, goals change games. That was the little momentum (FC Tulsa) needed. I believe they came to slow the game down, not get into a fast-paced game with us. It’s a long season and I’m looking forward to go to El Paso next week.”

Thoughts on the team’s effort…

“I was very pleased with the team’s performance. Obviously, you give away a goal, but for me it’s the performance that matters to me the most. We’re not in control of the results, but we are in control of the performance. I think the boys gave their effort and I will never fault them for that. They were brilliant.”

On his message to the team at halftime…

“Keep believing, we never lost belief. We’re not going to change just because we are one (goal) down. It’s a long season and in football if we start changing because we’re chasing the goal, that’s not who we are. We are going to continue to play our brand of football, our identity, and we’re going to get wins.”

On his first match as head coah…

“It was unbelievable. Our fans were unbelievable, the atmosphere was fantastic, and I think the boys felt it. I definitely felt it. Credit to the fans, it’s not the result that we wanted but one thing I know that this group is, that they will respond because it’s a bunch of group with great characters and I know their response will be great so I am looking forward to see their response next week.”

GOALKEEPER PATRICK RAKOVSKY

General thoughts on the match..

“It was pretty disappointing. I think the first half in general we were a little bit slow. In the second half we created more chances. At the end of the day, we didn’t create enough. You got to be honest about that as well. So again, I feel like the first half was no good. The second half got better. We’re going to build up from that.”

On getting the start..

“For me, it’s obviously something special. I’m in this club now for two years, so this was obviously really special, especially with the family around a lot of people watching. We’re just really, really happy that I was able to do this now.”

FORWARD DAMIAN RIVERA

General thoughts on the match…

“I think it wasn’t a bad performance from us. Obviously, it’s not the result we wanted, but I think we just have to go look back at film and go from there.”

On bouncing back from the loss…

“We’re going to be looking back at film, seeing what we did wrong and correcting those things. You know we have a game next week and we can turn it around quick. Soccer is soccer. One mistake can lose a game but it’s on all of us and we go next week, and we go again.”

On his contributions to the attack…

“My coach told me, stay wide, go 1v1 and be dangerous. I tried my best and we’re unlucky to not score any chances. At moments I thought I was dangerous and like I said I think we were unlucky to not finish off any chances and we just have to go from there.”