QUOTE SHEET
REAL SALT LAKE 2-1 PORTLAND TIMBERS
RIO TINTO STADIUM; SEPTEMBER 16, 2017
Real Salt Lake
Head Coach Mike Petke
On the Houston/San Jose scores:
“We’re in 5th place at the moment, so I’ll enjoy it for the last whatever. We’ll see what happens in the Houston, San Jose game.”
On the performances the past three months:
“I’ll take away from the fact that the second half Portland had a lot of momentum in the second half and that’s a lot of credit to them. They’re a very good team, Caleb is a very good coach, but the first half we had complete control over and parts of the second half we managed very well. Parts of the second half I don’t think that we managed great, but we did enough to earn a win and I think we fully deserve it.”
On being above the playoff line:
“…We’ll be tied with Houston. I believe they have us head to head, but yes it will say tied for 6th, but regardless, to be there right now for the moment, it’s a credit to the guys, I’ve said it to you so many times this year. I’m just the Bozo who’s standing on the sideline and screaming throughout the week just trying to get them to listen to me. You know they have to accept what I’m saying and accept it upon themselves to apply it and practice it in a game in the weekend and get it done. Once the whistle blows I have no control, so credit to the players this last couple months and for the win tonight and to be at the position they’re in right now.”
On Savarino’s goal:
“Big time players show up in big moments. When just talking about attacking wise, we have easily three bigtime players along the middle. Plata, Albert and Savarino and by the way all three of them have been called to their national team, Plata getting back to the national team. These guys have put the work in. Jefferson stepped up and he made a big time play, because he’s a big time player and it was a big relief, because it looked like the couple of opportunities we had in the first half, the many opportunities and the few good opportunities just put it wide, or missed and you start thinking, here we go again, but for Jefferson to step up and put the goal in, and what a goal it was. For us to have the mentality to defend, there’s no shame in that to defend and to hit them on the counter. I think they showed great determination like someone said before and it was impressive for me to watch.”
On going up a goal:
“In anywhere in the world, especially in the MLS when a team goes down, definitely by just one goal, they in the second half really pushed numbers forward, so inevitably it’s going to push you back, but I thought they did well, we did well in our shape to deny them much, but I thought that where we lacked a little bit was the transition in the second half. We had opportunities to go forward and to possess the ball get them running a little bit and we weren’t really direct at times, but listen, these are only little stuff. We have 2-1 win, we have 3 points.”
On Luis Silva’s injury:
“I don’t know. Bad enough where he had to come off the field, so obviously we will hold off to that, but we have 7 days until the next game and we’ll see where he’s at…Right groin. I’m just…is he okay to go? No, then it’s, who’s coming in? I didn’t have time to discuss it, but obviously go back and talk to the doctor and we’ll figure it out.”
On the locker room after the win:
“I thought there was going to be a little bit more of a celebration. Let’s put the word celebration in context. I don’t mean popping champagne and running around, but guys were happy, but I think a couple of them realized in the second half that we could have played a little better and they expect more of themselves, so I think it was a bit, it was a subdued excitement I guess can say, and then it’s onto the next one, so next weekend is going to be an even bigger game.”
On Valeri’s record:
“I couldn’t care less if it was against us. We got three points. I’ve said this week and in the media, I think talking to you as well. Valeri is a special player. Someone I respect incredibly both on the field and off the field. Having him be in the league for so long I know him well enough now, but I think he’s one hundred percent in the conversation for the MVP in this league, and he should be. Congratulations for the record to be honest, because he deserves it, but I don’t think I’d be saying that after a loss, but we won, so honestly I’m happy for him. It doesn’t matter if it was against us.”
Midfielder Albert Rusnak
On the playoffs:
“I haven’t personally seen the other results but if you say we are above the line that is a great feeling. We did know that it would depend on the other results, that the other team had played less games than us and we are on the same points so it would be ideal if they would drop points anytime soon. But as I said all weekend it was trying to win the rest of the games in the season. We have to look ourselves in the mirror and if we don’t win games and we don’t make it to the playoffs I still would be proud of us.”
On the team’s attitude:
“I think we played very well. I think the other teams know that, Portland is a great team. They created chances today, and they created great stuff but so did we. I think that at the end of the day we did deserve to win the three points.”
On the early goal:
“I used to say that we always would concede in the first few minutes, we were always chasing the game. I have always said that the first goal is very important, it sets the tone of the game, it is much more relaxing if you are 1 ahead at halftime or after 15 minutes. That first goal is huge, but then again we had a sloppy start to the second half and let them get an early goal, then it is back to square one and you have got to try and score that goal because we knew that Portland would be happy with one point today because their position in the table is much better than ours. One point would not be good for us today, so I am very happy that we got the 3 points.”
On the goal celebration:
“I am on hold every day in training because it can be anytime right now. It is just a phone call from my girl and I have got to go. So I am glad it wasn’t on a match day and we are six days to the next day so she has those six days to do it I guess.”
On Savarino’s goal:
“I think this one is even greater, the one before was one without looking but it was a strong form. Today with his weak foot, if I am right, and to score that kind of goal with your left foot is very impressive. And he deserves it because he is such a young player who came here and when he doesn’t know the language, it’s not easy for him to communicate with us, the guys who don’t speak Spanish it must be difficult for him. But on the field, every day in training, and in the games he shows us what kind of player he is. He started to score goals, he has got assists and it is a great addition to the team.”
On Portland’s attack:
“I don’t know, I even personally myself started a little sloppy in the game, the first two touches of the ball I think I gave away and I don’t know what it was, I have no idea. Sometimes you just start games like that but it shows the strength of the team. If you can start sloppy, then for the next 40 minutes you can dominate the game the first half. Then again, after the first goal we all got settled in a little bit and everyone was more confident and we could play to our strategy. That is what other teams do when they are up 1-0, they start to waste time, and they go down and just waste time and that is what teams do to us every time that we have been behind. So I feel very good about what we did today.”
On the season’s growth:
“We have to catch up from the bad start, if the season would have started halfway through, I am pretty sure we would be in the number one spot. Ever since the half of the season has been gone we have been playing unbelievably, one of the best soccer’s in the whole league. So we do have to make up for that bad start, and that is just by 3 points and 3 points and every week just trying to get the 3 points because we lost way too many games for what this team has and the kind of quality this team has, we lost way too many at the start of the season. And that is simply not good enough, and after the half we have been playing very well, we have been winning games not losing as many, not conceding many goals, and scoring more goals. So we do have to catch up from the bad start if we do want to make it to the playoffs.”
Portland Timbers
Head Coach Caleb Porter
On what made the difference in tonight’s match:
“I thought we were much better second half. WE gave it a good run. Obviously the difference in the game was the Savarino goal, goal of the week for sure. You got to tip your hat to him for pulling off a play. I thought we came out really bright in the second half and came out pushing for that goal. We made a good run at the end and had some good chances but fell a bit short. We have to keep it in perspective; it’s been a good run for us. We played three road games in a row and took four points out of the three. The guys are disappointed and we wanted to get more out of this game.”
On what Portland needed to do better:
“The biggest thing is that we needed to play with a bit more urgency. For some reason we started the game a little slow. WE got caught on the ball a few times and got turned over in a bad spot that led to the first goal they scored. Obviously Jeff will want that one back; but great response out him in the second half. He made several key saves. Ultimately it was a tale of two halves. They were better in the first half, we were better second. The difference today was Savarino.”
On Valeri’s record:
“Great tribute to him and the quality he has to do something that no one has ever done. It’s amazing over a lot of years in the league, the fact that he’s done something that no one has ever done, scored in eight straight games. Obviously if you asked him he’d rather have gotten the win than break the record. But ultimately it’s a great credit to him and the player that he is.”
Midfielder Diego Valeri
On his 8th consecutive game with a goal:
“Thank you for that. It’s an honor. I’m very thankful for my teammate for that because if you can do that it’s about your team. I think we scored a good goal today and we played a good second half. We didn’t get the three points or even a point at the end which is sad so it’s kind of a weird feeling.”
On his current play:
“I’m having a good season. But every season is different. I feel good and I’m at a good age, I’m more experienced every year. Physically I’m feeling good and this is the last part of the season. I want to keep working on that. So let’s see at the end of the season, if I’m feeling good it’s because of the team.”
On the goal scored tonight:
“It was a good buildup. We connected a couple passes. We played from the wing and then to our 10 and then to Darren Mattocks. Mattocks then switched with Dairon Asprilla and Darion made a very good cross. I just followed the situation and headed the ball.”
On team morale with 3 of the last four at home:
“It’s good to play at home the last three or four. Our goal is to make the playoffs and the sooner that we can get points the better. We know that it’s not easy. We play against Orlando, and they played well against Atlanta and 70000. MLS is hard and we have to keep up the performances in this way like we did in the second half and in the last couple of games. Like I said, we need points to make the playoffs.”
On the Western Conference being so tight right now:
“I think Salt Lake is a great team, a team that has played well in this last stretch. They started a little slow but they have a good team and they are still fighting for the playoffs. That talks of how tough the western conference is right now. We need to be focused even if we have games at home against Orlando and DC.”
