POST-GAME QUOTE SHEET
REAL SALT LAKE 0-PHILADELPHIA UNION 0
FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012 – PPL PARK – CHESTER, Pa.
Real Salt Lake
RSL head coach Jason Kreis
Thoughts on the match…
“It was difficult, because Tuesday was so emotional with our backs against the wall there. We expended a great deal of energy to make sure we got the win there. We played down a man for like 30 minutes Tuesday night. Traveled across the country on a very long flight two days ago, and to come out and play a team as emotional as Philadelphia. A team that obviously felt like, if you read everything, they had to win that game was a difficult task for us. I’m pleased with the result.”
On his side picking up its second-straight clean sheet…
“Yeah its big time and I feel like even result aside, I think that Dallas game was a really strong performance by our boys. I feel like we’ve put three strong performances together over the past week, and we’ve had two really good results. And now I’m really ready to ratchet this thing up, and get us running here for the play-offs.”
RSL MF Kyle Beckerman
Thoughts on the match…
“It was of great importance for us to get a result on the road. Obviously, you always aim for the three points, but when that’s not there, and you get a point, you walk away with your head held high. We’ll take it and try and build off of it.”
On the physicality of play…
“Yeah, I just think that’s the way it is; it’s getting towards the end of the season, near playoff time, so things are heating up a bit.”
On RSL’s position in the table…
“We just keep looking, and we’re still there (second place). If you can get a bunch of wins, that is what can keep you up there, so that’s what’s really helped us stay at the top. If we could cut our losses in half, we’d definitely be at the top.”
On the Union’s performance…
“We knew it was going to be a desperate team, playing at home, trying to get into the playoffs. So we knew it was going to be a tough game. They’re playing well; it seems they’re fighting a bit harder under Hackworth. I thought maybe we could get a win, but we’ll take the draw.”
Philadelphia Union
Union head coach John Hackworth
Thoughts on the match…
“Disappointed that we just got a point out of this one, felt like we deserved a little more, and we were trying to push the game. Created a couple of really good chances there unfortunately we didn’t finish. Great look for Amobi there at the end, unfortunate for that one not to fall in the back of the net, but proud of my team. They fought hard. They played good soccer against a team that’s one of the best in the MLS. You know, for what it means getting a point here, you know, again I think our team played well. I think they played the game the right way.”
On whether his team was lacking urgency…
“I don’t think there was a lack of urgency on our part. I think that Real Salt Lake is a better and experienced team that knows how to control a little bit of a rhythm. We were trying to do the same thing. They weren’t giving up much. I thought they were really good defensively, taking away passing lanes, not letting us kind of trick them. We were going after it. When you play a team with the caliber of Real Salt Lake, you have to finish the few chances you create. Unfortunately, we didn’t do that tonight.”
On the Union’s formation…
“We really didn’t go away, it was still a 4-3-3. It was just Gomez on the left where Freddy usually is. We wanted Gomez to come in and add a little bit more into our midfield. So we dropped him back and he showed up high and back, and when he did run a player forward. We were trying to operate on the same system just a change in personnel, change in tactics. Look they’re one of the best midfield, if not the best midfield, in this league. They’re excellent at just passing the ball right through you or around. They dictate it so they can wear teams down. They didn’t do that to us tonight, in any sense of the word. In fact, we probably did it to them a little bit. So that in my opinion worked, but you know possession doesn’t get you any points. It doesn’t get the ball in the back of the net.”
Union MF Brian Carroll
On the result…
“It’s not ideal. It’s not what we wanted. They’re a good team. I thought it was a pretty even game throughout. We had a few more dangerous chances than they did. In an ideal world we find a way to stick one of those away and we get the three points. We battled. We played some good soccer at times. It’s just at this point of the season, the position that we’re in, we find a way to turn those into three points and not just one.”
On formation…
“As far as tactics were concerned, there wasn’t too much of a difference. At times I just found myself a little bit higher stepping to put some pressure on. In general we have the option to rotate a little bit and go with the flow. But we know our starting positions and our starting positions weren’t really that much different tonight.”
Union MF Danny Cruz
On playing with the Union…
“I enjoyed the team. It’s a good technical team that I’m playing on now. Hopefully as time moves on we can only get better.”
On playing versus a veteran team…
“I think this team you can tell had a lot of fight for each other. From every tackle that was going on, everything that occurred. The type of player that I am, I was happy to see that and kind of see the group fight for each other. But as far as the gamesmanship…they’re an older team. They’ve been around. At the end of the day, obviously the situation that we’re in as far as points, we need wins. But that’s two good teams in a row that we played toe to toe. And we could have [gotten] results with both of them. That’s how I’m trying to look at it.”
On playing more minutes…
“I think we got a lot of games coming up. And I don’t think it will be very long. I’m trying to extend my minutes every game and trying to contribute, that’s the main part. And that’s how we see it to [Hackworth]. So whatever minutes he feels I can play, whether it be starting the game or off the bench.”
Union GK Zac MacMath
On the shutout…
“I went 45-50 minutes without touching the ball there for a while. It was good for the team, really. The defense played really well. They didn’t have very many chances. So hopefully we can build on the shutout and start scoring some goals.”
On making the playoffs…
“There’s not a lot of time.” Two weeks ago is when it started and obviously we didn’t get the results that we wanted. Every game [has] got to be a win here on out. And that’s tough, but this team has the capabilities to do it.
Union MF Gabriel Gomez
On the result…
“We wanted to win; the team had the chance to get the victory. The team played well, did what had been worked on during the win, but unfortunately the ball just didn’t go in.”
On playing on the left side of the field…
“I was asked to be on the left side a bit more, so that I could defend against their right wing, who is very good at going forward. Gabriel Gomez is always ready to contribute to Philadelphia. I am a professional, so I’m always ready to do what is asked of me.”
On coming away with only one point…
“We always play to win; this is a team that wants to win, with players capable of doing so. We also know that the other team prepares well, so we know that we have to cover the spaces, because we don’t have a margin of error left. We have to get the three points here on out.”
On his confidence in playing tonight…
“One always wants to play, that’s what we’re here to do as players. I’m always ready to contribute, in any way that is asked of me. Today we didn’t get the three points, but I’m sure that the team will be able to do so from here on out.”
Union DF Carlos Valdes
On tonight’s result…
“This result, to me, is a bit unnerving. I wanted to win; I wanted to get the three points in order to keep our great hope of getting into the playoffs alive. Sadly, we didn’t get the win, so we have to turn the page on tonight, and think about our next game.”
On the mounting pressure on the team…
“The pressure definitely increases with regard to our playoff hopes, every time that we let points slip, which are vital to us this moment. The chances are less each time. But like I said, we have to turn the page and look towards the game on Wednesday. “
On preparing for Columbus…
“We have to rest, so that on Wednesday we are at 100% so that we can perform our game.”
