LOS ANGELES FOOTBALL CLUB MEDIA CONFERENCE

June 19, 2021

Bryce Duke

Press Conference

Los Angeles Football Club - 1, Houston Dynamo - 1

THE MODERATOR: Why don't you start us off here by, what did it feel like playing in front of the, your first sold out Banc of California Stadium? What was that like?

BRYCE DUKE: Yeah, I mean, it was definitely different because we have gone for so long without fans. So just having the energy, and it sounds weird to say this, I miss not being able to hear someone from like 10 feet away on the field. So it's glad to have -- or I'm glad to have all the fans back and I'm sure that they're glad to be back.

Q. Obviously your performance with Vegas has earned you a spot at the LAFC. I'm curious to know, what are the main differences between Major League Soccer and USL? What are the two differences between those two leagues?

BRYCE DUKE: I would say that here in the MLS it's just the pace is a lot faster, a lot more physical. That's probably the two biggest difference between MLS and the USL.

So guys like me, Cal, Tony, all the youngsters that go down and play in Vegas, we go down there to just get minutes under our belt, build confidence, stuff like that. So it has definitely helped a lot of us and I'm just glad I got the opportunity to come on the pitch today.

Q. Taking off of that last question, you're getting a rhythm as a professional in playing on loan. Are you, do you appreciate having that opportunity to go out on loan, get some minutes, and then be able to come back and earn a spot with LAFC?

BRYCE DUKE: I mean, yeah, of course. Just being able to go down there and play a full 90 and get confident, build my confidence, score goals, get a couple assists, it's just the process of being the young guy like myself and becoming a more mature player. So the process definitely has helped me, I feel like, as it has shown me because I got 45 minutes today. So, yeah, I'm glad that we had the opportunity and so are the other guys on the team.

Q. What do you feel you've grown in particular with those opportunities that you have had with Vegas and now being able to show what you've learned here?

BRYCE DUKE: I feel like I've matured a little bit as a player and one of the biggest things I feel like for me is just confidence. I feel like last season when I played here and I would be at the ball, I would just kind of, I wasn't used to it and I was kind of, I kind of panicked a little bit.

But playing with the Lights and getting professional minutes and getting a full 90-minute game in helped me build my confidence so when I'm on the ball I'm more comfortable and I have more clear ideas in my head. So I think that's how it's helped me the most in playing with the Lights.

Q. In terms of how the team is right now, how would you describe the atmosphere is like? Was there a little bit of frustration that you guys create those chances, you have the possession, but the sharpness has been missing and little details that you guys don't get the three points on a regular basis?

BRYCE DUKE: I mean, there's always a little bit of frustration because we didn't get the three points, but we're just going to look over what small mistakes that we made. Part of that goal that we got scored on I lost the ball up top, so I'll take the blame for that. So it's just small mistakes that we make and you just need to go into practice and learn from them and then grow as a team and that's always been our game plan. It's not going to change. So hopefully our next game against Dallas we'll be ready and come out with three points.

Q. In the wake of that, just talk a little about what you, what the coaching staff kind of talked to you about, try to push for that next goal, try to push forward, what did they kind of talk to you about there?

BRYCE DUKE: Yeah, when I went on the field they just told me, Play your game, play with confidence, just do your thing and be dangerous up top. And I tried to do that.

Diego almost had a goal towards the end. So just trying to help the team in any way I can. Unfortunately, we didn't get the three points, but next game we're going to do our best to get those three points, so, yeah.

Q. You have seen a sold out Banc of California Stadium and you know the importance of LAFC in California and for the fans and all that atmosphere around this team. But how has it changed in the mentality of a player who is part of LAFC when he is on the pitch, when he is on the field, playing with this club, all that atmosphere around it.

BRYCE DUKE: Yeah, I mean, definitely having the energetic fans, the 3252, a sold out stadium. Anybody who plays in front of that is going to, it's going to motivate them. It's going to make them want to play harder, make them want to score goals, get three points for the team. So just, especially here with how dedicated our fans are and how determined and just how great they are, us players, us LAFC players on the field, it goes a long way and I don't have words to explain how much it means to us, so...