Post-Match Quote Sheet
Bethlehem Steel FC at North Carolina FC | September 7, 2019 – WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, N.C.
Bethlehem Steel FC
Head Coach Brendan Burke
On his impressions of the game . . .
I walk away very proud of a young group. You know we’re the second youngest team ever to play in this league, so to show that kind of character I think is the most important thing. We had guys literally run until they threw up on the field, so I know my guys are working for us. Just walk away proud. My impression of the game is that [North Carolina FC] were excellent in the first 20 minutes and they showed their quality. They showed the quality of their preparation under Dave [Sarachan] this year, which has been a massive transformation. He’s a guy I look up to and I know a lot of my younger counterparts look up to across the country, so that’s a proud moment for lots of reasons. It’s fun to coach against a guy like that that has a world of experience and some players I respect as well. So the first 20 minutes was good out of them and I think we finally woke up. We still weren’t clean, but we started to stretch the game and make it a little more difficult for them to role the ball around and that’s what our new style of play under Ernst [Tanner] is based on is creating a little chaos, defending high up the field and creating transitions. We created a ton of them. We were lucky to hang on in a couple moments on the defensive side in the second half, but I thought we carried the vast majority of the second half so I felt we were cleaner on the ball. Hard running in the box leads to two of the three goals. I would imagine from a neutral standpoint a very entertaining game. From a coach’s standpoint that’s a heart-attack maker because nothing was controlled or deliberate throughout the night.
On what was more gratifying, a result on the road or the way it happened . . .
I would say in equal parts. We’ve been good on the road this year. We’ve actually been better on the road than we have at home because we have more time to prepare the team as a staff and more time to talk to them about what we want executed. We did not execute anything that we talked about in the first 20 minutes of the game, but that comes with a young team as well. Nerves come in; our center forward was 15 years old tonight. So we are developing potential stars of the future for MLS, but they’re not that yet. We have to keep that in focus for the players and the staff on a regular basis. So the response you talk about from our 18 year old center back who trips on the ball and gives away the third goal to then dominate every dual he was in for the rest of the night, that’s massively impressive to me and shows me that he will eventually be ready for a bigger environment. He’s just not yet.
On what he saw from his team in tonight’s match . . .
A lot of commitment; we made a couple of errors, we started a little flat in the first 20 minutes, it took us a while to grow into the game and as that was happening they capitalized twice. I think what was important to walk away with is that we put so much energy into the game that we had guys throwing up on the field. That tells you everything you need to know about the energy that was put forth by [Philadelphia Union] Academy players and young pros. We watched a lot of guys grow up tonight a little bit. I think coming back from two goals down, twice on the same night, is a rare occurrence. Some of the guys that were involved in those mistakes that led to their goals, put in the best performances to close out the game. Happy with the mentality.
On Shanyder Borgelin and Yomi Samuele Scintu scoring their first Steel FC goals . . .
It was important for both of them; forwards have to score goals. They both did it by running hard into the six-yard box, which is something we talk about all the time, so I’m glad the message is being received. Neither was a pretty goal, but they both ran hard and put their bodies into it. Hopefully that gives them the confidence to add more and I will say that I thought when Shanyder [Borgelin] came in that he brought not just energy, but real quality into the game tonight too and that’s an improvement from some of his past performances. Really encouraging stuff from both guys. Yomi [Samuele Scintu] did a lot of hard running off the ball, that’s been our primary focus with him, so for him to be able to push for 90 minutes much closer to the level that we expect is great.
On Danny Flores’ performance in his debut . . .
I was actually a little taken back by how clean Danny [Flores] was. He was able to play forward, he was combative, he helped us keep the ball, he tactically was sound in his decision making in where to take up his defensive positions in a critical time in the game. Just composed beyond his years.
Forward Shanyder Borgelin
On his team’s performance . . .
We did good to fight and come back from a deficit, but I’m happy that we got the draw and ready to move on to the next game.
On scoring his first professional goal . . .
I just went in, tried to hunt the ball and when it came to me I put it away. It feels really good and hopefully I can get more in the future.
On his team coming back to steal a point on the road . . .
It’s really good since we were away, so we had to fight and now we have to get after it in the next game.
Forward Yomi Samuele Scintu
On his team’s performance . . .
I think the first 15 minutes we struggled to get in the game, but then we did very good. We fought until the end and I think it was a good team performance.
On scoring his first Steel FC goal . . .
It was very good. I’m very happy about my first goal because I haven’t scored yet. I’m very happy about that, but I’m happier that we drew after we were 3-1 down. It was a good performance.
