LA GALAXY HEAD COACH BRUCE ARENA
You created a lot of chances but nothing really worked did it?
“We just didn’t finish; it’s hard to believe they even got a goal tonight. They weren’t going to get a goal and we gave them a chance and to their credit they finished it. We’re very disappointed to walk out of here without at least a point on a night where maybe we’re not great, but the other team is not dangerous and we have got to find a way to get a goal.”
How do you right the ship with this result?
“Get on the field and win on Wednesday, that’s how you right the ship.”
What do you think of Raul Mendiola’s MLS debut?
“He did fine, he’s still a young kid but he played with a lot of confidence and courage so hopefully he can build on that.”
What was the strategy for this game?
“To win, that’s our strategy every game. Our team needed to get a goal and we came up short.”
LA GALAXY GOALKEEPER JAIME PENEDO (translated from Spanish)
Thoughts on the match
“It’s very sad to lose a game this way, I was trying to communicate with my teammate to hold the ball because I was getting a cramp which I got from a previous play that I slid out into the corner. To be honest with you I wasn’t expecting the ball, but that is no excuse and I work hard to try and fix those types of plays but it is sad to lose a game like that.”
LA GALAXY FORWARD ROBBIE KEANE
Thoughts on the match
“We created chances, didn’t put them away, we had a few—A.J. [DeLaGarza] had one just before the half but it was a good save by the defender—and then we made a mistake at the end and that can’t happen. You can do all you want all week in practice, you can do everything to get ready for the game but you can’t legislate for mistakes.”
How do you fix something like this?
“Just stop making mistakes, that’s how you lose games, you make mistakes and then you lose games. We just can’t make mistakes, the mistakes we’ve made are ones that can’t be made, and it’s fairly simple. If you we keep making mistakes like that we can forget about even making the playoffs.”
LA GALAXY DEFENDER KOFI OPARE
Thoughts on the match
“As a team we definitely played pretty hard, it was very unfortunate to give up that goal, a cheap goal we gave away. At the same time we could have been a little better offensively and defensively, so add in a goal as well and defend a little bit better all around the field. So obviously we must learn from the lost and look to turn the corner pretty fast because we play on Wednesday and the guys will respond back.”
How was it playing with Tommy Meyer?
“It took a little bit of time to get used to each; I have played with him in reserve games and practices so I'm pretty familiar with him. Like you said as the game went on we started to feel each other a little bit more and get comfortable with the way he plays and for him to get comfortable with the way I plays.”
What happened on the throw-in that led to the goal?
“I’m not exactly sure how the ball went of play but we had the ball and we were assuming Dan [Gargan] was going to throw it down the wing to find to either Rob [Friend] or Samuel. He thought he had time so he threw it back and the ball bounced and came chest level to Jaime [Penedo] and he tried to take a touch and play it out but he couldn’t do it then the guy picked it off. So defensively we were a little slow to react on that play and help Jaime out. It is very frustrating to give up goals like that especially when as unit defensively we were able to hold our own, so giving up a goal like that is disappointing. But we play on Wednesday and like I said we’re going to learn from this mistake and look to improve upon it Wednesday.”
What were the preparations like before this game?
“Houston is very good, they usually make the playoffs so they’re a pretty good team and Dominic Kinnear coaches them, who is very respected amongst the league, so we know the way they like to play is two big guys up top with Bruin and Sherrod. Those two are very good in the air and with their big bodies we know they’ll be directing and defensively we had to make sure that we competed with them on every ball that came in. Like I said, we knew they were going to be direct and we knew we had to work extra hard to win those second balls because those are usually the dangerous balls, whether it’s from a flick or they got knocked down.”
HOUSTON DYNAMO HEAD COACH DOMINIC KINNEAR
Thoughts on the match
“Really happy, great three points, great bounce back from last week. Little bit surprised there was only one goal in the game tonight, because it was a little bit back and forth. Good for us to take advantage of a slip up from theirs, and take it at the goal, and to defend well. Like I said really happy with these guys, love watching them win games especially at home in front of a great crowd. To put the work in, and like I said it was a great answer to walk off the field from last week.”
Update on Boniek García
“Yeah, he’s going to leave on Monday [for national team camp]. It’s a minor hamstring strain, so that’s what they tell me. I haven’t done a whole lot of investigating in there, but the reason was a little bit of tightness in his hamstring. I don’t think it’s terrible. It’s not something that’s going to keep him out for a long period of time, but he said he felt something in the back of his leg. That’s where the icepack went, and it was enough to take him out of the game.”
On the David Horst save
“I had completely forgotten about it until you brought it back up, because there was so much going on in the game. I think Corey (Ashe) makes a great point when he says he didn’t give up on the play. Obviously sometimes you need those moments of extra effort to get you a win, and keep goals off the board, to put goals on the board. I think Mark (Sherrod) was alert on the other side. Both guys with their heads up play, one to keep them from scoring, and one to get us on the board was very helpful for us.”
On the goal that scored being a Mark Sherrod play
“He did well on the ball, and then he showed some real good composure to play the ball back to Giles (Barnes). That was a great finish by the way, if Giles put it somewhere else it could’ve been blocked, it hit the perfect spot. We actually just went in, and watched the play before we came out here, and I don’t think the goalkeeper was expecting the ball, so obviously sometimes taking advantage of mistakes, and that’s what did tonight.”
On what you think was the play of the game
“David for sure. It’s early in the first half, and he gave the guys a lift. Sometimes it’s not the goal that gives the team a big emotional lift, sometimes it’s a defensive play. I think David’s play was, because it keeps it at zero.”
HOUSTON DYNAMO DEFENDER COREY ASHE
Thoughts on the match
“It was a great win, especially coming off of our last result. We battled hard for a good three points. It continues to move us to the top of the table.”
On the save by David Horst
“It happened quickly, and the first thing that came to mind was he’s so big. I feel like if that was me, it would’ve went straight over my head. He’s a heads up player, overall it was a great save. He reads the game well, and didn’t quit on the play, and he helped us keep a zero.”
HOUSTON DYNAMO DEFENDER DAVID HORST
On the ball taking him off his feet on the save
I think it caught me more by surprise than anything. It was more: ‘don’t miss it, don’t miss it, don’t miss it.’ It didn’t really hit me too hard, but I just wanted to get some part of my body on it.”
On the game being more physical than expected
“Yeah they started with two big guys up front to match up with Jermaine (Taylor) and I. Rob Friend, and Samuel, you’ve seen them tonight they are big physical guys. I think LA was afraid of us imposing our will on their forwards. I thought Jermaine and I did a great job, because those forwards didn’t end the game with them. Hopefully that’s what we can keep doing is imposing our will on other team’s offenses, and keep zeros in the back. That’s all we can do as a defense.”
