Lights FC Head Coach Dennis Sanchez
On his overall impressions on the match…
Open Cup is never easy. Every team comes in with the same idea of advancing as far as they can and hopefully lifting the cup. Regardless of whether it’s an MLS team, USL League One team, NISA team, you know it’s going to be a battle. Hats off to Spokane, they came in and are very well-coached, very organized. They gave us a good test.
On his team digging deep to respond to the late equalizer and win in extra time…
We had to rally together really quickly. It’s never easy to lose that shift in momentum that late in the game. We were clear in what we needed to do in the areas that we wanted to attack, how we could advance with more numbers higher up the field and ultimately found the second goal.
On Valentin Noël continuing to step up…
Val’s been doing well. For us, it’s about how we can put our attacking players in more dangerous areas more frequently. What I like the most is that we want to be a team that scores in a variety of ways. His goal came off a pressing moment where Solomon Asante found a good ball to the other side and Val took his chance well.
On his team’s defensive performance limiting Spokane to just two shots on goal…
Defensively, we did well. I still feel that we can press with more intensity at certain moments and really control space. I wasn’t aware that Andre Lewis’s equalizer was their first shot on goal, so hearing that makes me feel pretty good about it. The other thing too that we talk about is the best way for us to defend is how we are with the ball. We could have been better managing the game as it wore on, whether that’s finding a second goal, being better in possession, taking it to the corners.
On preparing on short rest for a USL Championship match with Rhode Island FC on Saturday…
It’s not easy for either one of us. Fortunately, we’re both in relatively the same boat. They have an extra day on us in terms of recovery. But it’s really about making sure that we not only get our bodies right, but we mentally refresh as well and come back with a strong performance on Saturday.
