WRALSportsFan
Riley: Sam (Mewis) will be here Monday and she'll be ready to go next Friday night
NC Courage head coach Paul Riley met remotely with the media to talk about the Courage's home opener Saturday night against the Orlando Pride.
Hey paul, I was just wonder if we could get kind of a general injury update again. I know it's like Agnew was out in a walking boot spec and Williams were back in practice this week. Yeah, I think everybody is ready to go, we're fully healthy except for Lindsay. Agnew should be out for probably 6 to 8 weeks, broken bone in the foot, but everybody else is healthy, so mary's back, um lindback, um maybe may set a little hamstring scare yesterday, but she feels good today, so I think we're pretty healthy and like I said, just Lindsay out, So, good news finally. Yes, good news at last, Jeff, go ahead. Hey ball uh few draws in a row with, with Orlando, I'm thinking back to 2019. You guys handled them pretty pretty mercilessly. I know they've kind of, you know, they've had a little bit of a rebrand or retool, but um what are you expecting tomorrow from them and in this kind of new setup that they have and what do you think has changed with them? You've been able to see them in the Challenge Cup obviously? Yeah, I think a little bit different team than they were a year ago. I mean the last couple of years probably a bit more organized, a little bit more direct. There's no question, they're going directly, got cognac and in the team now, so a lot of it's going through her flick ons and that type of stuff. So uh you know, I think when Mark first went in there playing a lot of playing at the back a lot and inviting the press on a lot and now they're trying to avoid the press. So obviously that's a bit tricky for us um unexpected again tomorrow to avoid the press and and go deeper link. Obviously got speed up front to with Alex and said and uh those type of players, so I mean they've got the team to go direct, there's no question and now I feel like in the midfield I think is key for us. Our midfield been a little bit off the box and I think that's the thing. We've concentrated most of the week and is trying to improve that and trying to create better chances for our forwards and trying to create better chances for our tens. I I feel like our tens are drifting too wide sometimes, it's too high sometimes and we almost look like a 433 at times, there are 4 to 4 times and I want to get back to the box and I think that would cause their midfield some problems. I don't think that's the strongest part of the team and that's the part where we can get at them. Uh As long as uh, you know, there are having the four of them having good games, I think we can cause them a lot of trouble and uh, but you know, without a good without a good box, midfield, you can't get the fullback same, we can't get the full backs high, we can't pin there full backs in and you let Ali rally playing. She's good gun is good going forward to, so if you let them out and start causing you some more trouble, but they're definitely better organized. I think it gets a fresh year for them. Uh, and you know, everybody's only played one game, so everybody's got hope. Everybody thinks they've got a chance to to make the six playoff teams. And so I think it's definitely a mental change, mental triggers gone for them. And I think also Mark getting used to the way that the league's played a lot of transition game in the league. Um, so it's easier to coach obviously. And I think the benefit of last year of not playing is that he's had a look at the games probably and realize the transition is key. You know, sometimes you can't always play at the back and you can't always be the artist that everybody wants to be, you know, because it's just sometimes very difficult to do. And I think you probably realize that it's different when you're playing against the Lynn Williams sometimes in english League. They just don't have the type of athletes that we have in our league and um type of players that we have in our leader closure quickly and they don't give your breath and think of the english league, it's a little bit more relaxed, a bit more uh, I don't like tactical as users where people say it's more tactical, I don't think it is. I just think it's a little bit slower. They play slower, they place less direct, they play less than transition. Um and they go side to side a lot. And I think that some of the reason when you see like a samuels come back, um she misses the transition game, she misses the speed of play, she misses the opportunity to go forward when the opportunity arises. And I think in the english game it's a lot more sites aside and be honest with you to fall asleep watching quite a few of the games compared to the NWSL. I'm biased of course, but that's my take on it. I'm sure the english press will love to hear. I'm just telling the way that, you know, I think that we've got a much more parity in our lead to, you know, you can't, you know, kind of a day off in this league, you'll get beat and needlessly, that's not so true, you know, and you look at the top five in the bottom five considerably different teams. I mean, there are some really good teams, let's be fair. Chelsea is really good money and that is good, and cities really good. Chelsea is really good and then you start to drop off pretty quickly, you know, I don't think there's one team in our league. I mean, you guys have been trying to pick the 10 where they're gonna finish in the 10 and I guarantee we had last 10 of you who would finish in the top 10, you all have different answers because nobody has a clue what's gonna happen this season, because there's so much parody in the league, and that's why I love coaching the lead, the challenge of the league. You know, I don't want to play in a 5, 10 5 team leader. I want to play a 10 team league where anybody can win it. And I feel like this year anybody can win it, you know? Um So that's what makes this exciting. That's why Sam's coming back and Roses coming back. And I think there'll be other players joining them coming back to. So I think people want to be back in the league where speeds a little bit, there's more, more ferocious and more intensity to the games and um, so yeah, that's my take on it, Jeff, you have a follow up just, just quickly on the SAM front. What's the timeline for Integration and some will be here, monday. She'll be ready to go next friday night. If it obviously we don't not sure how much he's been doing. Manchester City the last few weeks, The seasons kind of winding down. But that's the the tapes were expected to be in the lineup for for next friday night. Uh If she's fit enough and good enough to win practice next week, but she will be a practice Tuesday of next week. Thanks paul. All right. Does anyone have any more questions for paul? Um Louis? Go ahead. Louis are you are you able to hear us louis? I don't know if we're able to hear you louis if you want to chat me the question I can ask all. Mhm. I hope you can hear us louis. Okay, well, we got the question. Um Any update on Haley Harbison? She has her operation on monday. Um I spoke to her yesterday, so she had the operation on monday. She's gone again for probably another couple of months, obviously, since that, uh, had a rough time of it with injuries the last year and a half. So I feel bad for her. But she's home and getting ready for operation and then we wish you all the best, obviously. Um, yeah, so that's really the we have two major injuries was just there and Lindsay Wagner at this point, everybody else is healthy.