Coventry Coach Micky Adams
The bonding experience off the pitch has been first class and is definitely something we would like to repeat.
I’m not one to make outrageous statements saying we’ll finish in the top two or six next season. Our goal is just to improve season after season.
We have a lot of young players on our team who are still learning their trade and the hope is this trip will put them in good step.
At halftime I told the boys that the one thing we haven’t done very well yet, not to get frustrated this pre-season, is our attacking play. That’s not something that can gel straightaway after just 14 days of training. This season we have a six-week preseason, that’s longer than usual, and we have time.
The biggest difference on the field was the stature of the players. Maybe that’s because the small guys here get pushed into soccer because they can’t play basketball, American football or even baseball.
Brigham’s fitness was amazing and they played with great enthusiasm. They are certainly a credit to their university.
At times our passing got a bit sloppy and our play in the final third was not up to the quality we require.
Coventry defender Matt Heath
The biggest difference is the atmosphere [altitude]. We can feel it massively. We do the same drill and up here its so much harder, so different.
The team was fit, had good spirit. The score looked a bit worse than it should have been with the two late goals. They came out and wanted to play football.
We passed quite well and controlled the ball, and put the chances away when they came.
They had a few players, if they wanted to go down that road, that could play in England. It’s difficult to get a place because there are so many guys that want to play from England and from all over the world, but if you work hard you have better than a chance.
BYU head coach Chris Watkins:
Everybody on their team was bigger, faster, stronger than we were. They were more technically sound and just in every facet of the game were better.
This gives us more confidence. Our first group was impressive. Defensively we provided good cover. Our reserves haven’t had the minutes and it showed.
We were composed on the ball and were able to pick people out, but we were playing against big, strong, rich men.
BYU defender Morgan Gilliam
Their knowledge of the game and positioning and understanding of the game of soccer was just that much better than ours.
We learned that we’re not that bad. There were times that we should have knocked the ball better, but we played well.
Their intensity in the box was very high, not something we see against other teams.
Honestly, they weren’t the outstanding team I thought they were going to be; they’re not miles ahead of us, and that’s exciting.
BYU midfielder Brock Trejo:
[The biggest difference was] the speed of play. Their movement off the ball was more anticipatory and just faster.
We can learn how to move off the ball. At times as a team we find ourselves standing.
Coventry does a good job of finding the forward’s feet and playing off that. Once they play the ball in the midfielders aren’t midfielders anymore and combine with the forwards.
BYU defender Hugh Van Wagenen
Their speed of play and organization was just that much better.
It was exciting, fun to play, but eventually you just get so focused that all goes away and you’re playing a soccer game. That’s a nice feeling.
This game tells us we’re organized. It’s easier to raise your game when you’re playing higher competition than just raising it to raise it. With the nerves and hype, mentally something happens.
Tonight was hard because we’ve lost three out of four if you count this one. We need to win our next game against Ogden. We want first place if it’s available and we want to go into playoffs with a win.
