MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
QUOTE SHEET
THURSDAY, JULY 8, 2010
TOYOTA PARK – BRIDGEVIEW, IL
CHICAGO FIRE0:1REAL
SALT LAKE
Real
Salt Lake Head Coach Jason Kreis
On
their record:
“Really
just so proud of our guys tonight. We have guys that aren’t feeling well,
humid conditions, coming from a dry atmosphere and I just really felt like the
second half more than anything else we battled. We showed we can do
that. We’ve been from the majority of the season I’d say a team that’s
played pretty soccer and hasn’t had to really battle for things. I think
tonight, credit to the Fire in the second half they really came at us, made it
difficult on us. I am just pleased with our guys because they fought
through and got the result. It was a fortunate night for us. At the
beginning we were begging for a bounce and now we’re getting a few.”
Real
Salt Lake Midfielder Will Johnson
On
managing to quell the Fire pressure in the second half:
“We
knew it was going to happen. They had to throw numbers at us. We
didn’t quite have the energy level to keep playing the soccer we were playing
in the first half. So proud of the guys, they showed guts and
determination in the second half. There hasn’t been a year in the
history of Real Salt Lake where Salt Lake would have won that game tonight
after going up a goal, but this year is different. We have heart
and we have a lot of fight and I think you saw it tonight.”
On
scoring in Chicago for the first time in four years in regulation time:
“Really,
wow! I didn’t know, no idea. We knew we hadn’t won
here. To score a goal, we could have had a couple more in the first half
and that would have been great but getting that one we knew we were going to
have to sit a little bit. We just didn’t quite have the energy to be able
to get that second one. It feels good to win here, especially.”
On
breaking down the Fire defense:
“It was
all right, we had a lot of the ball so they got tired. At the end, I
think the last five minutes all they were doing was clipping it long and didn’t
have the energy, they had expended a lot of energy in the first half and they
expended a lot more energy to get the goal back. But we got three points
and that’s all we wanted.”
Real
Salt Lake Forward Robbie Findley
On
taking the penalty kick:
“I felt
good, I’ve taken them before. Feel confident stepping up to the spot and
took it.”
On
picking a corner to kick to:
“I
think the keeper thought I was going the same way so I switched it up. As
I was standing up I hear some of their teammates calling the goalkeeper’s name
and I was figuring they were telling him where I went last year so I switched
it up.”
On
getting points on the road:
“It’s
been something we’ve been working on. We didn’t do too well on that last
year and it is one of our goals this year-to improve on our road record.
So far we are doing the right things. Tonight’s game wasn’t the best
soccer but we got the win and we stuck in there to preserve it.”
On
the Fire’s defense position in the first half:
“They
just seemed like they had everyone back on defense. In those situations
you have to be patient and eventually you start pulling players out of position
and things will open up. In those situations some teams get
frustrated. But the successful ones are patient and move around and
things open up.”
Real
Salt Lake Goalkeeper Nick Rimando
On
keeping the score sheet blank for 498 minutes:
“Those
posts were nice to me tonight. I felt like Uruguay back there. I
think we fell asleep twice the entire match and we knew this game was going to
be a battle and I think we battled the whole way through; even the posts were
with us tonight. I didn’t have to do much, the team really made it easy
for me.”
On
absorbing the Fire’s pressure in the second half:
“They
came out pressing, they got some corner kicks, they had some free kicks.
Mapp came in the game and he really changed it. McBride as well, but our
defense was up to the task for sure. It wasn’t pretty but we didn’t
panic. We still played, we still battled and Javier [Morales] today was
our best player, because he was keeping the ball and controlling possession for
us.”
On
challenging for wins on the road:
“I
think last couple of years we were happy with a point and if we don’t get that
point it’s not a big deal. Now it’s we aren’t happy with a point, we want
three points. I think the confidence of winning early in the season
really helps us out in these kinds of games.”
Chicago Fire Head Coach Carlos de los Cobos
Thoughts
on the game:
“I
think we started the match very well, but we played against a good team. We
lost the ball the second part of the first half. In the second half, the team
played better. When Brian and Justin Mapp arrived on the field, I think the
team improved in terms of possession and control of the game. We had two or
three chances but we didn’t take advantage. I knew that this match was very
difficult. The same thing happens to us, the guys make a big effort and we have
good moments but we make mistakes when attacking and finishing. We have to
think about the future. Some of the players are maturing and this is a
different team from last season. Other players are now playing – young players
like Kwame, Steven and even Corben Bone. Like I always tell the players,
we need to be a very competitive team. Today, we lost a match but I think we
can make something more of it.”
On
Patrick Nyarko:
“As of
now, he has concussion symptoms. I hope we can play him in SuperLiga next week.
He’s an important player for us but his health is more important.”
Steven
Kinney:
“I’m
very happy with Steve. He showed a very strong personality. It’s not easy for a
young player to show the confidence Steven showed tonight. He’s a very easy
–going and good person. Though he played due to certain injuries on our team,
he did good work. Everyone is happy with Steve. He’s has potential in his
position, always supporting the offense and returning to defend. I’m very happy
for him.”
On
SuperLiga and giving new players time:
“SuperLiga
is a very good opportunity for the players to show their quality. I think all
the players want to play. It’s necessary to show that we are a competitive
team, but the reality is we don’t have a very long roster. In terms of the
tournament, we need to think about performing well like the team’s run to the
final last season. We have to do it again.”
On
SuperLiga:
“It’s
an opportunity for our players to showcase their play in an international
tournament. We have to leave a good impression. Unfortunately, we won’t have
certain injured players to play in the three matches in one week.”
On
pressure against Mexican teams:
“No.
It’s about having motivation and transmitting that to the team. It is important
to play this tournament with enthusiasm. Above all, we need to get far in the
tournament.”
Chicago
Fire Defender C.J. Brown
On
the result:
Real
Salt Lake is one of the better teams in the league. At the end of the day
they had some chances, we had some chances in the second half, but they took
advantage of them. The penalty kick they were rewarded posed a challenge
for us, they got a goal out of it and we were on the attack for the whole
second half.
On
Steven Kinney’s play:
Steven
Kinney has done very well. I think if he didn’t have injuries he would
have seen action a lot sooner. He needs to get some games under his belt
and he’ll be even sharper. He plays with a lot of confidence which will
increase even more as he sees more playing time.
