Los Angeles Blues News Release -- www.bluessoccerclub.com
Sunday, April 17, 2011
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The atmosphere in the Los Angeles Blues locker room following the team’s 3-0 victory over hosts Sevilla FC Puerto Rico on Friday night was one of sheer jubilation. As many had predicted ahead of the club’s first match in USL PRO, the old artificial turf at Josué ’Elevadito’ González Stadium in Juncos, Puerto Rico, had kept the visitors from playing their preferred possession game throughout the 90 minutes. Yet, Head Coach Charlie Naimo’s men managed to rise to the challenge and start the season on the right foot.
“The pitch wasn’t in the best condition, so the game turned out a physical battle with a lot of fouls,” recapped Naimo. “There were some questionable calls, but for the most part the refs called the game evenly and we just gave away a few too many set play opportunities.”
However, overall Naimo was happy with the team’s ability to adapt to the circumstances by marking up tightly and then quickly transitioning into the attack.
“We held our ground defensively,” he said. “The only chances they had came from those set plays. They had some really big boys in the back, so they brought them forward whenever they could. But for the most part we stood up to the physical challenge, absorbed the pressure and played just enough good soccer to create quality chances. In the first half alone, we could have been up two or three-nil. We created several hundred-percent chances that we didn’t finish.”
However, the Blues attackers would redeem themselves after the break. In the 50th minute, forward Cesar Rivera hit an absolute stunner from about 40 yards out that caught goalkeeper Maximiliano Torlacoff out of position and gave the visitors the lead. Then, 10 minutes from time, Gerardo Bravo-Benavides put the hard-fought match out of reach on an assist from Argentine star Walter Gaitán. Finally, Gaitán slotted one home himself in the 88th minute of play, following a defensive giveaway by the hosts and a nice heel-pass by Akeem Priestley.
After the final whistle, defender Josh Suggs didn’t think twice about who he thought the best attacker on the field had been for the Blues.
“Walter (Gaitán) had an excellent game tonight and proved that he is still a world-class footballer,” the 21-year-old said. “There were times in the game when I almost forgot to pay attention to what was going on around me because I was so in shock over something Walter was doing.”
However, Suggs was also sure to praise the entire team’s performance on the day.
“We were able to adapt to the tough circumstances we were provided with,” he said. “That’s what separates good teams from great teams. We were forced to stray from our traditional style of play because of the lack of quality of the field, but we were still able to grind out the victory.”
The sentiment was echoed by Suggs’s teammate Leonard Griffin.
“Getting three points on the road is a fantastic start to the season,” the former Los Angeles Galaxy defender said. “They came out fighting hard as expected. I think it took us the first half to really get a feel for the field conditions and for how Sevilla play. Then in the second half, we were able to settle in a bit and play the way we wanted. Staying solid defensively, staying patient and scoring some amazing goals helped us come out on top.
“If we can continue to stay tuned in for 90 minutes defensively, I know our offense will continue to take care of business as they did tonight. I think the next game needs to be more of the same. Maybe we could even try to get on the board a little earlier and then continue to keep the other team at zero.”
That other team will be Antigua Barracuda FC, as Naimo’s men have little time to celebrate with more travel and then today’s game in the Antigua and Barbuda capital of St. John’s on the horizon. Having tasted first blood in Puerto Rico, the Blues now head into their second Caribbean clash with high expectations and plenty of confidence.
“Today’s game was a huge win for our club,” said Blues captain Josh Tudela. “To be able to come into Puerto Rico and get a 3-0 win in our first game of the season is a huge accomplishment. Sevilla put up a very good fight, but all of our guys played well both individually and as a unit. I’m very proud of the team for that. Now it’s time to start getting ready for Antigua and make sure we walk away with another win.”
“To be honest, we don’t know that much about Antigua Barracuda FC," Suggs added. "But we’ll head into the game with a winning attitude and determined to earn the same feeling we earned tonight. Of course, it would help to have a better field this time so we can play our type of game and control possession of the ball.”
Following the strong performance by his team in Puerto Rico, even Naimo was able to briefly hold back on his critical coach’s perspective.
“I can’t really say we need to work on anything in particular after tonight’s match,” he offered. “I was really proud of the way the guys battled, because it was a very tough and physical game. Now we just want to get everybody healthy and well rested and then we’ll be ready for the next challenge.”