MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER POST-GAME QUOTE SHEET
REAL SALT LAKE 3 : 0 PORTLAND TIMBERS
SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2012 – RIO TINTO STADIUM – SANDY, UTAH
REAL SALT LAKE HEAD COACH JASON KREIS
On tonight’s match…
“We made it very clear to our players that we wanted to get back to the basics and establish a foundation. I think we did that Wednesday night not allowing Seattle to score against us and then put it all together tonight. I feel like we’ve moved a step in the right direction.”
On whether or not he knew more goals were coming after Saborio’s first goal…
“Yeah, for sure. The way the momentum of that game was going, you feel like if there’s one goal there is going to be two or three. Truthfully that was the same against San Jose, the difference was that we got scored on first.”
On Saborίo and his three goals in 15 minutes…
“The first one was really special, wasn’t it? The way that he got up and headed it across the goal, the whole face of the goal and it hits the post and goes in. It was really, really special. He’s a guy, for me, that’s just had a lot of injustices lately with the goals that have been called back against him.”
REAL SALT LAKE FW ALVARO SABORIO
On how he felt after the first goal…
“The first goal was like ‘Oh, finally!’ because we try hard and today it was good. Soccer won tonight.”
On if RSL feels relieved after scoring first…
“I don’t think we relax. We try to score more and finish the game, but I think we had a good game today and we have to continue like that and keep positive.”
On the importance of getting a hat trick with RSL…
“It’s important. It’s 3 goals that I’ve scored in one game only a few times in my career and I feel very happy about it. Hopefully we can continue like that and make some more wins and goals.”
REAL SALT LAKE MF KYLE BECKERMAN
On the way that Javier Morales was treated on the field…
“Teams are trying to stop Javier by trying to foul him and hit him after the play. It’s a shame, because we want to see good soccer here. We don’t want to see players in this league get kicked like that, so hopefully the referees will keep an eye on it and maybe it will help guys stop from kicking him so many times.”
On how today’s game compares with the games last week…
"It’s an even keel, always an even keel. Same thing we don’t get too up or too low, and that’s what you have to do. We’ll just stay even. We know we have a lot more season to go and we want to keep improving, so we’ll get ready this week for a big game next week in San Jose."
REAL SALT LAKE DF CHRIS WINGERT
On his assist…
“The goal is always to get it in between the back line and the goalkeeper to put him in a bad position, and fortunately I hit that one pretty good. That’s what great crossers will do consistently with guys like David Beckham and Brad Davis, so I saw that Portland were high, and I tried to hit it hard enough where they couldn’t cut it off from the near side and it would still get through. Fortunately it did. Sabo was just feeling it tonight."
On tonight’s match…
“It felt really good tonight. I’m happy for Sabo and he deserved it. For a regular season win, it doesn’t get too much better than that."
On if there was a sense of relief in the locker room after tonight’s win…
“It was mounting a little bit after a few losses, and everybody was freaking out and it’s understandable. We don’t want to get too high or too low from the way everbody else is reacting. Whether it’s great things or bad things, but we’re trying to stay on an even keel, but it’s tough after a few loses. We’re competitive guys and we’ve had some success the last few years where it starts to take its toll and you need a win like this to get you back in decent form.”
PORTLAND TIMBERS HEAD COACH JOHN SPENCER
On Álvaro Saborίo…
“We said it at the pregame meeting, when you let the guy [Saborίo] have a chance, he puts it in the back of the net as he proved today. He’s dangerous, one of best players they have in this league.”
On if the players are still thinking about the first goal…
“Maybe yep…I think that it’s important that once you go a goal down you haven’t lost the game, but you have if you stop concentrating and you let it affect you mentally. I think the goal was a big punch in the gut for us.”
On what was good about the first hour of the game, and if the Timbers fought the last half hour…
“Possession-wise we kept the ball, the first half especially, we had a couple chances. When you have altitude in these places, Colorado and Salt Lake, you have to keep focus and keep your head in the game. You have to try to move the ball when you can. Obviously, you go 2-nil down in Salt Lake, it’s a tough place to play when it’s 0-0, let alone 2-nil down. Once they get the second goal it’s almost over.”
On moving on from the loss…
“We’ll concentrate on what went wrong today, for our game next week versus L.A.”
PORTLAND TIMBERS DF KOSUKE KUMRA
Overall thoughts on the match…
“Time doesn’t stop. I have to get going with my new teammates, and we have to get results, that’s it.”
On recently joining the Timbers…
“It was tough for me the last couple days because I was with the Rapids and next thing, I’m with the Timbers. I trained with them one day and then started the game today. I definitely need to know my teammates’ tendencies better and I have to understand how they want to play. I don’t have the chemistry yet with the team, so I definitely need it. The next week I need to be really focused. There’s still half a season left, so we have to get going.”
PORTLAND TIMBERS GK TROY PERKINS Timbers
Overall thoughts on the match…
“It just wasn’t good. There were times we did what we wanted to do, and there were times when we completely had the blinders on. The first hour was okay. I felt the second half we were just chasing the game. We didn’t hold the ball up enough to get guys out and when we did we were too slow to get up.”
On Kimura’s first game with the team….
“I mean, he’s got to find himself on the team still. He’s an engine that never stops, so we’re happy to have him.”
On being winless on the road…
“It’s great when we’re at home, sure. At some point, you have to draw the line and say enough is enough. Everyone’s got to say it, do it, believe it, and whether or not we win at home doesn’t matter. At this point we’ve got to win on the road.”
PORTLAND TIMBERS DF DAVID HORST
On being back at Rio Tinto Stadium…
“I’ve always gotten along with the guys on the team greatand coaches really well so its always great to come back and see them. It’s great to see they’re doingwell. I had the luxury of knowinghow they were going to play coming into this game and they played exactly how Ithought they would. They playedhard, they keet the ball, and they get the job done.”
On the aggressiveness of the game…
“Hard tackles…it’s soccer, it’s life. It’s going to happen, there’s going to be hard tackles. I’m protecting my team mates; they’re protecting their teammates. It’s nothing personal with any of them. When we walk off the field, it will all be back to normal. We both play hard. We’re not going to sit back and let the other team kick us. We have to make our presence felt, and that’s a trademark of both teams. Neither team is going to back down from the other.”
On being winless on the road…
“We can’t let it get to us. It’s going to happen; you’re going to have these during the season. We had a couple last year, every team has it. What makes a good team is being able to get yourself back up, pull yourself off the ground, and go on to the next game. That’s what makes a good team. You’ve seen it from Salt Lake the past couple weeks. They haven’t won and then tonight they come out and won. We’ve got to do that now. Real Salt Lake took it to us tonight, so next week we’ve got pick ourselves back up and go out and play hard.”
