Postgame Quote Sheet
LA Galaxy 5, C.S.D. Comunicaciones 0
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
CONCACAF Champions League
StubHub Center – Carson, California
LA GALAXY HEAD COACH AND GENERAL MANAGER BRUCE ARENA
On tonight’s match:
“Well certainly we had a very good start tonight, obviously had an impact on the game. Getting two early goals was critically important, and getting goals four and five were very important as well. All in all, a very good night for us.”
On Robbie Keane playing the second half:
“We were going to rotate a few players for sure. Gyasi [Zardes] has logged a lot of minutes, and we wanted to give him a little bit of a break. The options we had tonight were a little bit limited. Although we dressed seven players, but about three of those players weren’t going to step on the field tonight. Robbie [Keane] felt good and wanted to play.”
On Giovani dos Santos’ role tonight:
“He did a little bit of everything tonight. He could’ve had some goals, I think we could have been a little bit cleaner with him and found him a little bit earlier in and around the penalty area. But on the night, his passing was good and his running off the ball was very good. He had a very good night; I thought the effort he put in was tremendous.”
On Mika Väyrynen’s goal:
“Giovani [dos Santos] played him a great ball, and the finish was spectacular. I’m not sure I’ve seen that out of Mika [Vayrynen] with his left foot. But it was a tremendous goal, and a great way to start.”
LA GALAXY FORWARD ROBBIE KEANE
On his desire to play:
“I was going to play, of course. When you are on the bench you want to play. The most important thing is that the other guys get some minutes, and I think Gyasi [Zardes] has played a lot of minutes in the last few weeks with the national team. I think it made sense just giving him 45, so it was good. It’s always important to get a run out there, Giovani [dos Santos] had some good minutes under his belt and he was outstanding. You can train so much, but game time is what is most important. To score five goals is always good, and hopefully that will just push us over the line.”
On his two goals:
“My first goal was a tap from Giovani [dos Santos]. That’s what he does; he’s not a selfish player. He’s a team player; he could have easily gone himself and tapped it around the goalkeeper. I think the most important part thing is that the easy option is always the best option. I could’ve scored on another one as well but I saw [Alan] Gordon, and he hasn’t scored a hat trick in a while and I was desperate for him to have a hat trick. It was good play; it was a great ball from Kenny [Walker]. It was just a nice bounce and I think scoring as many goals as we could and getting a lot of players to play minutes was the most important. These guys can step in the minute someone gets injured so it is important that they are match fit, and seeing them tonight I think everyone looked strong.”
On first goal scored in the game:
“Great strike, another Giovani [dos Santos] ball as well. He’s going to get a lot of assists this year.”
On field conditions:
“It was very bouncy and on a couple of one on ones the ball bounced right off my knee. I had to take a touch and play [Alan] Gordon, and it was just bouncing all around.”
On Giovani dos Santos:
“I think we are always looking for each other and it is only going to get better. It’s like we have been playing together for a long time. We obviously know each other, but it’s certainly getting better. Nearly every day Gio has gotten an assist. He’s a fantastic player, always a team player, never selfish and always wanting the team to do well. He’s getting more mature now, he was only a kid 18 years of age, and he knows what he wants and what he has to do. So far he’s been brilliant and is only getting better. He’s been here for about four games and he has many assists and scored two goals.”
On certain players getting minutes:
“It’s important. Everybody gets minutes. It’s a team game as you know, and we depend on some of these guys if the players get injured so it’s important for them to feel like they are ready to go and that they are match fit.”
LA GALAXY FORWARD ALAN GORDON
On goal scoring differential:
“That’s great. It’s a great little cushion but we still have a lot of work to do. We know it’s very difficult to play in the CONCACAF away from home. Tough conditions, so that’s good to have but we still have our work cut out for us.”
On playing alongside Giovani dos Santos:
“It was fun, he is a classy player. He could do a lot of things so I’ve got to be on my game to see his movements. I had a lot of fun tonight, he likes to move around, likes to get the ball; I’d like to do it again sometime.”
On Giovani dos Santos’ impact on the team:
“Well he is dangerous. He is a good player so he gives us that x factor. He can do about anything he wants, and it’s only just begun. We struggled for a while without Robbie [Keane] in the beginning of the season. Now we have plenty of guys who can change a game in a single play.”
LA GALAXY MIDFIELDER MIKA VAYRYNEN
On scoring a goal tonight:
“It felt really good, kind of needed that to get the spirits out a little bit and it was a good start for the game. Then we got the second goal, it was good. Luckily early in the second half we got the third one and we kind of rode it out.”
On the midfield's performance tonight:
“I think we had good stuff there with Kenny [Walker], good balance, we got a lot of tackles in the first half. We took the ball up a couple of times. It was a good, a good half, and in the end it was a good game.”
On getting two wins at home in the CONCACAF Champions League:
“It is very big especially since we have the goal difference. We have now scored 10 and conceded only 1. That is very important especially when you win home the first two games you can go to away games with good confidence.”
LA GALAXY MIDFIELDER IGNACIO MAGANTO
(Translated from Spanish)
On tonight's game:
“What is important about tonight's game is that we got the three points. The win puts us closer to qualifying and we want to continue to earn three points every game in this tournament.”
