“I’m very pleased that both of them were able to score. I thought a lot of the game comes down to our outside backs when the other team sits back as deep as they do. It’s about making the right decision at the right time, forcing the [opposing] players in front of them to make decisions, finding the right passes, and getting strikes on goal. I’m pleased with both of those guys.”
On what a berth in the Semifinals of the Open Cup means to him:
“I’m pleased, but it means nothing to me, really, to be in the Semifinal. It’ll mean something to me to win the whole thing. We’re another step closer – I’m pleased with that. I’m pleased with the performance overall, and tonight I thought we responded well after a pretty sluggish start. I’m happy that we’re moving on.
On the “sluggish start:”
“I think that some of that comes from our guys feeling that we had risked so much in the beginning of the last two [Open Cup] matches – and they paid for it. I think that they were just being a little more patient than what I wanted to be. Stuff like that gets us away from who we are as an aggressive team. We were just a bit lackluster, a bit of lack of movement and aggression, and closing out.”
On the solid back-to-back performances of the Real Salt Lake defense:
“I think that, at the beginning, we said that it was going to take some time. We had injuries in the beginning of the year, so we had players that had to step in and fill roles in the backfield. We played quite a few games where we didn’t have a whole back four that had played together. It takes time to learn and get a good understanding. I feel like we’re in a pretty good spot right now with all of that.”
On Alvaro Saborio’s mindset and performance:
“He worked hard last match, and didn’t score, and he worked hard again tonight – he probably should have scored another one with that side-foot shot he had earlier in the second half. It restores that confidence and momentum. I thought it was really critical that he had a goal tonight. Unfortunately, he leaves now for Costa Rica – hopefully they can enjoy that momentum.”
On what the Real Salt Lake franchise means to him:
“I feel like this is my home, my family. This is where it all started, and this is where I was given my first chance. It’s an amazing opportunity by a guy that had more belief than all of us put together – an incredible leader in Dave Checketts, and now with the new ownership group, I feel just as supported. It’s been amazing what the guys have given me, and given to this club – it’s been second-to-none. I feel that people recognize that it’s not just a crest on a shirt or a name on a stadium, it’s part of us.”
On the reasons for Real Salt Lake’s past struggles in Toronto, where the team play Saturday:
“I think that, for me, the travel matters a lot more than anyone else will give credit for. We’ve had so many times where we’re travelling through Atlanta, and we get delayed there. I feel like there’s more delays than on-time flights. We’ve had to spend one whole night there, with guys getting there at different times – before the game, we couldn’t even hold a training session. There’s a lot of complications with going to places so far away. Other than that, I can’t really put my finger on it. I think there’s a few spots where we don’t do so well, and it seems like everybody wants to talk about them. We do pretty well in most places, and our record speaks for itself – we don’t have to make apologies for why we can’t win in one place or another.”
Real Salt Lake MF Kyle Beckerman
On what the team did differently this game versus the last US Open Cup game:
"We just try to play our game and do the same things. I think maybe the last game they got a bit lucky. They had two chances and finished them, but nothing changes. We're just trying to do the same thing; keep improving, getting better each game. We still have a ways to go, but if we can learn lessons as we win then that's a good thing."
On taking to the road:
"We just got to keep hungry, keep after it, keep our head down and don't rest on any wins and then hopefully we can keep scoring and creating chances and use this momentum in a good way on the road.
Real Salt Lake DF Tony Beltran
On his goal:
“Saborio made a great pass and I wasn’t sure after I took the first touch if I was going to take another one, to kind of drive to the end line and cut it back. But I just think I heard Beckerman say hit it and I just decided to rip it and it went into the far post.”
Thoughts on being a defender and scoring a goal to send the team into the Semifinals:
“I mean personal accolades aside, I’m just happy that the team made it through this round and we’re putting ourselves into a good position to win a trophy. It is always nice to score, everybody likes the feeling. Unfortunately defenders don’t always get the spotlight, we do a lot of the dirty work but when you do get the goal it’s nice.”
Thoughts on Jason Kreis’ emphasis on the USOC:
“I think it means the same thing for the players as well. You know we’re two games from a trophy, win another trophy for this club. And we’re two games away from being back into the Champions League so that’s what we wanted. To be back into Champions League, we want to bring trophies and championships to this club so absolutely it is why we are putting so much emphasis, that is why Jason is putting so much emphasis, and the players are behind him.”
Real Salt Lake FW Robbie Findley
On the teams form coming up on the road games:
“I mean it’s a good thing these games are coming fast. Trying to get the rest in and take care of our bodies but it is good to be playing again very quick. Of course we’ve been on a run and we’ve got to try and take that momentum on the road now.”
Thoughts on how to carry the form onto the road:
“Just come out and play like we have at home. It doesn’t matter that we’re away from home, we’ve got to come with the same mentality. Focus on the strengths and go out and play our game.’
Real Salt Lake DF Chris Wingert
On his goal compared to Beltran’s:
“I don’t think you can compare the two. You know his was a blast and mine was clearly a deflection. Whatever we’ll take it.”
On how it felt to score again:
“It’s been a lot of years since my last goal. But I was joking with the guys and I said even if it doesn’t count on the MLS stats sheets, I am pretty good at scoring because I’ve had a few in pre-season, I scored against Tigres a few ago, but it was good for the team to get a goal early in the second half. I would say it doesn’t have quite the same feeling as it would when you hit a blast but they all count and you know I will take anything. It was good for the team and Saborio finished them off there at the end and it was a good performance for our guys and moving forward.”
On Beltran’s goal:
“Huge. I think anytime you can score a goal from the outside it opens them up. Khari [Stephenson] has shown that a few times now. Just having the threat of a good outside shot can be huge. And when he lines one up we all think it has a chance to go in. Tony is an extremely good striker of the ball it is just the way that we play the two of us aren’t getting a ton of shots off and Tony being so fit gets himself into the attack a lot to provide service and you know, he struck that well. And the second chance he might have struck just as well and I think the kid made a good save but it was hard to see from my angle. I think that was huge to get us on the score-sheet before half.”
On the way the team was playing together and the team possibly having 6-7 goals:
“Yes and no. We didn’t think we played that great in the first half and I think we didn’t let up too much which was good. But we thought we could’ve played a little better. Certainly we are getting chances and we’re finishing them. We aren’t going to finish all of them but it is good we’re creating chances and we’re burying some goals. Hopefully we continue to do that. And once in a while when you don’t get a lot of chances it is nice to bury one or two so you can still get the result.”
Carolina RailHawks
Carolina RailHawks Head Coach Colin Clarke
On tonight’s match:
“Disappointed with the result obviously. You know, they’re a very good team and we came in here with a specific plan and weren’t able to carry it out.”
On their game plan:
“For us, we’ve done well in the Open Cup, it’s a big tournament, an important tournament. We’ve got a very big game coming up this weekend. We’ve had a pretty tough time of it as far as travel and games, some overtime games in the Open Cup and picked up a few injuries in the past week or two. We just had to be careful with how much we pushed some of our starters and our first guys. So we changed some things up and tried to keep it tight for as long as we could. See if we could get to a point where we had a chance to win the game, it wasn’t to be.”
On feeling out the first 20 minutes:
“It’s tough to play on this field. Conditions, altitude, it was pretty back and forth early on. ‘Keeper pulled off one good save early from Beckerman, that was pretty much it until the goal. We weren’t good enough when we got it and won it in transition going the other way. When we had the ball we didn’t keep it for long.”
On changes after the first goal by Beltran:
“We didn’t start trying to change anything until we made our subs. Tried to get up the field a little higher in the second half. Put them under a little bit more pressure, a little closer to their goal. We’d done that, we still weren’t good enough, didn’t have enough quality in the final third of the field. Thought when our subs came on they’d changed the game a bit at first. They were able to get on the ball and possess it, and cause them some problems.”
On their success in the Open Cup:
“It’s great. For our club, it’s a tournament we value. It’s a great tournament. I would like to think that this tournament you won’t recognize in ten years. I think it will be that big and that important. We value it. It’s a great in last year in beating the Galaxy and narrowly losing to Chivas. We beat the Galaxy again and obviously beat Chivas. We’ve come here tonight on the road to probably the team who’s probably playing as well as anyone in the West right now. It was a good occasion for our boys to go up against them and see what it’s all about. They’re a very good team and they deserved to win. Hopefully they can go on and win the whole thing.”
On what they can take from the U.S. Open Cup:
“They’ve already taken those things. It gives us confidence, it gives us belief that we can play with the big boys and beat them. That’s been important to us over this last month. We’ve only been beaten once this year and this is the second defeat, so you know, we’ve been playing very well and getting some great results. We’re in a great position in our league because of it. Part of that, like I said, was playing in the Open Cup against Galaxy, Chivas and getting results, and giving belief to the players that they can play at the next level.”
