Defender Quavas Kirk
On Guatemala: “Overall, Guatemala is pretty low pressure and will sit back and wait for the counter-attack and if we don’t watch for that ,they will pounce on the opportunity. The last time they played us, that’s how they scored their first goal, so we have to be aware of where we are on the field at all times, especially me and the other defenders.”
On having the chance to qualify for the World Cup: “We have a ton of motivation to come out and get the win tomorrow. We want to win the third game and win the whole tournament, but we know if we can get the victory against Guatemala we’ll be in the World Cup. That’s why we’re here, so we’re going to do everything we can tomorrow to accomplish that goal.”
On how the team looks: “Everyone looks good. I think we got some of our kinks out in the Haiti game and we’ll be hopefully able to connect a lot better in this game. We were able to get over our nervousness in the first game and now we can just concentrate on the game at hand.”
Forward Preston Zimmerman On getting ready to play Guatemala: “I’m excited and looking forward to playing if coach gives me the chance against Guatemala. But, the most important thing is that we get three points and qualify for the World Cup. I’m happy to be here, play for my country and do anything needed to help the team win. The main thing is for me to be ready if I’m called upon.”
On what he expects from Guatemala: “I didn’t play against them in November, but from what I’ve heard they’re a really good defensive team that stays compact and is hard to break down. We’ll have to keep good possession and wait for our opportunities, and when they come we need to take advantage and score.”
Defender Ofori Sarkodie On what the defense needs to be aware of against Guatemala: “The number one thing, because we’re a team that likes to send players forward, is we have to prevent the counter-attack. We have to communicate, we have to organize, we have to make sure we’re not wasting numbers in the back and everyone is marking up.”
On dealing with their offense: “Like most Latin teams, they are pretty crafty, individually, so there will be a lot of one-v-one battles for the backs and the midfielders. Like us, they’ll be pretty organized as well in probably a 4-4-2 line-up. They’ll look to shoot when they get the chance, so we need to not provide them with too many looks.”
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