Midweek Quotes from Atlanta Beat Head Coach James Galanis

Tough start to the season, describe some of the positives
I think it was a really good start for our young team. We prepared well in the pre-season but we were unsure of where we stood at the WPS level. I knew that the team could compete but the players needed to see it for themselves. At the end of the game, the players realized that they can compete at this level. That was a big psychological accomplishment for the entire team. We lost 4-1 but played fantastic soccer for a lot of the game and had our opponent on its heels for most of the second half. Three of the goals we conceded were created from our own fixable errors. Apart from our errors, we did really well. I’m proud of the team.

How has the team reacted to the loss in training this week
The team is happy and confident. We know we are young and will be playing against seasoned veterans every week. The team wants to win of course, but our main goal is to continue to progress as a unit. As long as we are improving each week, the wins will come.

What is the focus of training this week?
We are not focusing on anything in particular but focusing on improving as individuals and as a group. We just want to keep improving, and in time, we will achieve our goal of winning and being a fantastic team to watch.

What are your thoughts going into the weekend?
It’s a different opponent and another game to improve. It’s another chance for our young players to get better, and another game under our belt.

Additional comments on personnel changes:
We will make changes to the lineup and give other players a chance to play. We want to continue to have our veteran nucleus on the field and give the youngsters a chance to develop.