QUOTE SHEET
REAL SALT LAKE 0-1 HOUSTON DYNAMO
BBVA COMPASS STADIUM; MAY 15, 2016
Real Salt Lake
Head Coach Jeff Cassar
On the performance following the cancelation:
“I think the whole experience we’ve gone through wasn’t easy for the players, it’s an excuse, it’s not why we didn’t have a good game, we just weren’t good enough in any of the areas today, when we spoke at half time we said the game would probably come down to just one play, and to be fair that’s a goal kick. It comes all the way through, it bounces and puts him in on goal, it shouldn’t ever happen, it’s not good.”
On how the game changed after halftime:
“I do think we fatigued, I actually do think our back line defended pretty well, and that Kyle (Beckerman) and John (Stertzer) and Luke (Mulholland) did a pretty good job in there, I don’t think our front four defended well enough and I don’t think we played well enough going forward not to defend.”
On playing Jeff Attinella:
“I thought he did a very good job, especially dealing with set plays. Our marking on set pieces wasn’t good enough tonight but he did a good job commanding his box.”
Goalkeeper Jeff Attinella
On being out on the field again:
“It was fine. Obviously you want to play games. Jeff told me a few weeks ago that I was going to get this one. Obviously you want to win, but it felt good to be back out there. At the end of the day if you don’t win or get a result it really doesn’t matter.”
On the goal:
“It was kind of a weird play. I just saw Barnes kind of poke through late. Once he was there he was in. Just kind of a long ball that got the better of us, but it’s something we need to work on.”
On the five game road stretch:
“We’ve got to get results on the road. It’s going to be a long month and got to find a way. We’ve done it before in the past - get back to that formula and we’ll be alright.”
Midfielder Kyle Beckerman
On the second half:
“I think anytime playing down here with the humidity, and actually in any game, you get fatigued. It was really just about a game that you had to finish your chances. We had one, we didn’t finish, and on that opposite play they did finish.”
On the postponed game:
“Of course it was tough circumstances. We all got ready to play yesterday, and then to have to try and get to bed, and then get up early. But it was there for us to get a result and we just didn’t take it.”
On chances in the first half compared to the second half:
“I think we got off to not our best start in the second half. But we had two chances to change the game with a goal and we just didn’t take it.
On Jeff Attinella:
“Jeff did great, which we would expect. No surprises there.”
Houston Dynamo
Head Coach Owen Coyle
Initial thoughts on the fans that returned after the postponement:
“After everything that happened last night with the weather, obviously you hope that everybody’s safe. People have a lot of plans over the weekend, it can be regimented, especially with kids, so for the fans to turn up today and create the atmosphere that they did, it was important that we gave them a performance to be proud of so that they could go home happy and smiling. To do that, we’d have to play well and we did that. We were outstanding today. We dominated the whole game. They’re very dangerous on the counterattack but I thought it was a whole performance. We’ve played well for 60, 65, 70 minutes in games, but today there was start to finish focus. What we said at halftime was that it was the final pass where we had to get better because we were in some terrific situations in the first half but never utilized that final pass. We did in the second half and we had the opportunity to score four or five goals, we had some very good chances.
On Erick Torres’ performance:
“The only thing that didn’t happen for Erick today was scoring a goal. I thought he worked hard and he had a wonderful header in the first half that just cleared the crossbar. The more he gets minutes, the more those goals will come for him. We were delighted with how it (the goal) transpired and I think you’ve seen the gradual improvement when he gets minutes. It was great from Erick and the only thing missing from the kid is seeing the goal. He had a wonderful couple of chances because he was in good positions. Him and Chaco Maidana worked ever so hard today and it resulted in Giles’s goal.
On being able to hold on to a one-goal lead after twice conceding late at home earlier this season:
“I think that was everything today. We’re sitting here with 11 points, we know we should easily have 16, 17, 18 points. We know we have good players. We know they can work hard. Every time we always want to improve. We certainly know how to get there, in terms of what we need from our level of improvement for this franchise to be where we want to be. That takes time. It takes a lot of things, but what it does take at the moment is that group working ever so hard and understanding how to see a game through. I still wasn’t happy. I think we gave them an opportunity from a cross that could have been avoidable. So of course we won the game, but there are still one or two points we need to work on. It’s great to get a shutout, but we want to make sure and get a shutout without giving up goal-scoring chances. That cross was dangerous there at the end, and that’s important, when you get your second chance hit on goal, then take that chance. Be clinical, be ruthless, and stand up at the other end. We did that for the most part today. We have those areas that we have to continue working on, and that’s what we’ll look to do. We know that when we bring it like that, we can win games. We can stand toe-to-toe with the best. Moving forward we know the areas and how we want to bring it and we can keep improving. And that’s important.”
Forward Giles Barnes
On having the support from the crowd today:
“To the guys that came out, it was fantastic, thanks for coming out again. I know a lot of you guys probably had plans but you’ve come out and supported us again and it means a lot and it felt good that we could get the three points for you guys again today. As the gaffer (HC Owen Coyle) said, I hope everyone was safe after yesterday. It was great to see you guys out here today.”
On the goal:
To be honest with you, Cubo (MF Erick Torres) and Chaco (MF Cristian Maidana) both made challenges. I thought they both played well today, as the team did. I thought it was a great team performance. Everyone worked their socks off. Everyone dug in and that’s exactly what we have to do every single week. So as the ball’s gotten off, I just managed to get on the other end of the flick on and slide it into the net.”
On what was different today after going up a goal from two weeks ago in a 2-1 loss at Real Salt Lake:
“Obviously with the disappointment here midweek, it can’t happen again. We’ve got to stop saying we’re unlucky and work for 95+ minutes. Keep that concentration. Out there everyone gave 110%. You can see the boys at the end of the game dying on the floor, and that’s exactly what we’ve got to do. This organization is known for working hard and success, and that’s what we’re trying to bring here. We owe it to our coach to make performances like (that), for trusting us every week and throwing it out there. As I said, the boys were incredible today and I just think it was a great team performance.”
Defender David Horst
On how the result will help impact the team:
“It gives us confidence going forward which I think is something we’ve been lacking at the end of games, between the game against Kansas City last week and the game tonight, I think it’s giving us confidence going forward and we’re moving in the right direction, getting points and finishing out games right now.
On playing smarter and holding the lead:
“I think we’re learning how to win, and winning is not easy, especially when we’re dealing with the game getting canceled last night and coming in today I think the guys did a great job of refocusing and getting ready for today and it really showed with the energy we brought to the game today.”
