What They’re Saying After the Spirit’s Draw at San Diego

On Sunday, the Washington Spirit tied San Diego Wave FC 1-1. After the match, defender Tara McKeown and midfielder Hal Hershfelt spoke with the media.

On a result that wasn’t ideal but still getting a point on the road:

McKeown: Yeah. I mean, definitely, we wanted the win, and we created a lot of chances, especially at the end, so I think it was great that we were able to keep pushing. But coming away with one point, it’s a little disappointing, and hopefully we’ll get back home and just get ready for next week.

 

On the chances created today not going in the back of the net: 

McKeown: I think in the box, they did a good job of shot blocking, so a lot of our good shots were blocked, and then just not getting great contact on some. There was a lot of chances that we’ve created, and we’ve been working on that, so now we just got to figure out a way to put those good chances away.

 

On playing the San Diego Wave and what makes them a tough team to play: 

Hershfelt: I honestly think today was different. Our energy coming out was a little lax, more so than usual. They’re so good at those last-ditch defensive efforts. You see some people on their back line made really good blocks in a moment where we needed a goal, obviously. So, I think they’re just really good at those last-ditch defensive efforts.

 

On Naomi Girma: 

Hershfelt: I mean, she’s just a great player, and she’s so good at putting herself in those positions. So, just overcoming obstacles like that, I guess.

 

On the differences of her role in the midfield since Jonatan Giráldez’s arrival: 

Hershfelt: Honestly, we have similar principles. Our principles are pretty much the same, but just kind of expanding on it. I’d say being a little more creative with it, I guess, like figuring out what works best for us based on the game. I feel like it changes all the time, but we kind of stick to the same principles. We’ve just been refining them, I guess, if that’s the right word.

 

On positive takeaways and areas for improvement heading into the next match:

Hershfelt: For us, it’s interesting because I think we lack this in the Portland game as well, but the firepower at the start of the game. I feel like setting the tone is so important, and I don’t think we did that tonight. But positive takeaway: I think that we really, in the second half, turned it up because we had that, “Oh, crap,” moment, “We’re tied.” And I think our performance in the second half was a lot better. We had so many chances. We should have put some away. That’s something we can do better. It’s just being more effective when we get those chances.

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