LOS ANGELES FOOTBALL CLUB MEDIA CONFERENCE

July 18, 2020

Bob Bradley

Press Conference

LAFC 6, L.A. Galaxy 2

BOB BRADLEY: Great win for us. First half was very hard. Galaxy clogged the middle very tight, very intense. We did a poor job finding pace. Too slow with the ball. Passing wasn't sharp. So that period in the first half was just trying to find ways where we could make the ball move quicker and not be so slow and predictable with the ball.

Our second goal was the start of better football. Being a little bit able to find ways to move forward faster, find guys on the move that, continued in the second half.

It's the second game in a row where I think the guys who came on as reserves did an excellent job, and when Latif goes to right back, it gives us a little different dimension, especially against a team that's organized and really fighting that hard because Latif has different ways to find spaces.

I thought Tristan adjusted well in the center. Pancho has come on, two games, and found good plays, good spots on the field to help us connect passes. A smart player. And then I was happy to see Mo get a goal and to see both Cif and Bryce contribute

Diego is in great form. So this is fun to watch and I really appreciated the one opportunity before Brian, as he moves up, sees the perfect time to pass to Diego. It a great play by Brian.

Very hard first half. Galaxy, strong game plan. Really tried to -- in a derby, be intense, clogged the middle. It took us a long time to find our ways, find a way to control the game, but still we fought through it and then created some good chances and scored some great goals.

Q. You guys were really good the other night late against Houston, and then you were really good in the second half tonight. Is this maybe a characteristic of this club that you are wearing people down as the game goes forward?

BOB BRADLEY: I think that was the case today. It was a different kind of first half than the game against Houston.

Against Houston, we pushed forward and created chances, but on a couple of moments, they were dangerous in transition and then scored the late goal on the set piece.

Tonight, in terms of fluidity and finding ways to connect pass, in the first half, as I said was poor. So different kind of game.

It's expected in a derby, and Guillermo's experience in derbies and his way of getting his team prepared, we know.

So we had to fight through, honestly, a poor half. We were very pleased with get the equalizer before halftime, and then I think at halftime we were able to iron out a few things, and then of course it's hard for them to keep that up.

Q. Did it feel still like a derby, even though there were no fans and it was 2,500 miles away from Los Angeles?

BOB BRADLEY: It does feel like a derby. Obviously it better when it's with fans. That brings the game to life.

But the two teams know what's at stake. The two teams know that all the fans at home are watching, so everybody still felt that going into the game.

Q. There was a significant turnabout in the second half where they goal got waved off and you scored immediately and pushed on from there. Do you think this is an inevitable result, all things considered, or do you think things could have gone differently from that moment?

BOB BRADLEY: Well, I think we fought through; again, we have an own goal early in the game; penalty. Pablo makes a save, but comes a little bit off the line. And I think that, as I mentioned, you could see us starting to find a better way of playing through midfield, a better way of playing forward faster late in the first half, and we felt like that was the key to the second half.

Q. There have been seven games, and there are 40 goals. What do you think about this and what are your thoughts about Rossi scoring four goals tonight?

BOB BRADLEY: First, Diego, as I mentioned, I think he's in excellent form. We saw it early in the season, and he worked very hard during the period when we couldn't train, and you could see as we got back into team training how sharp he was and it continues.

He continues to grow as a player. His maturity; obviously his speed, but also his movement, his way of coming way from defenders, his threat to go deep, these are all things that for me you can see, and his finishing just gets better and better.

Look, for all teams, when you go a long time without a game, the first games back are a challenge. I saw the same thing in Europe. I saw the same thing in La Liga and Bundesliga and EPL; that you miss -- you miss the games, and finding the right sharpness, getting the fitness back, all the little details do take some time.

Early on you see teams at different levels. Yes, we've seen some very good goals. Some really good games from some different attacking players. Akinola for Toronto; Chris Mueller has done well. So you see that some of the different young players are stepping up.

And we always go back to trying to get our ideas right, looking for ways to improve. I said all the time that we tried to add layers with idea. We try to find an honest way to make our team better, and I really appreciate the way the players continue to work and respond.

Q. What happened in the first time was more L.A. Galaxy paying a lot of attention to Edward, not letting the buildup go through him, and the midfield, or it was more you guys being slow with the ball and maybe not precise on the passing?

BOB BRADLEY: It was both, and it was -- we have faced teams in the past that will try to Mark-Edward, but we normally have a good rotation in the midfield, and maybe we find Mark quicker. But in the first half, their midfield was very tight, marking one-to-one. We were slow with the ball, predictable, and we did a poor job of finding ways to find space.

The best midfielders, between looking around, between backing up, between just having a feel for where are the spaces on the field, and if early in the game things are very fight, you just have to keep looking and looking and looking for space.

This is the reminder that we made during the water break and again at halftime, and I think as the game went on, we were able to find a better way to connect the passes, get more control.

But look, in a derby, this is something you have to work hard at. The other teams know that we want to play through there, and they are going to do everything possible to clog it up and be physical and intense.