LA Galaxy Postgame Quote Sheet
LA Galaxy 2, Chicago Fire 2
Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2016
2016 MLS Regular Season
Toyota Park – Bridgeview, Illinois
LA GALAXY HEAD COACH AND GENERAL MANAGER BRUCE ARENA
On the match:
“Pretty sloppy game. Difficult conditions, really hot and humid. You could see in the last 20 minutes of the game, the game was wide open. Pretty sloppy. We played a good first 30 minutes. I don’t know why we fell apart the last 15 minutes of the first half but it was a killer and we’re fortunate they didn’t get the third goal at the start of the second half. So we’re fortunate there and we were able to come back and get a goal, press a little bit. Both teams had chances. Difficult for both teams to recover from weekend games.”
On the game opening up with the second half substitutions of Dos Santos and Gordon:
“Gio [Dos Santos] got the goal, and Alan [Gordon] and Gio did a good job. I think because of the conditions, players were just physically shot... The conditions were such that fatigues set in and it got a little crazy at the end.” On the squad rotation with the congested schedule:
“We have a game Saturday, we’re going back home. It’s very hard to play three games in a week. If we learn how to schedule properly, you go Saturday, Wednesday, Sunday. When you go Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday, the third game makes it real difficult. We could have put a full squad out tonight, then we have a tough time on Saturday so we tried to balance it a little bit. A couple guys needed a break anyway but it’s still going to be difficult for us to get our team ready for Saturday. That’s part of it.”
On if he’s happy with the road point:
“No, this is a game we should get three points, in my opinion, and didn’t.” On the Fire:
“It’s not my job to tell you about the Chicago Fire, I’ll let the Chicago Fire tell you about them. I haven’t spent a lot of time analyzing the Chicago Fire. No disrespect, I’m not as familiar with them so I’d leave it to them to talk about their team.”
On why the team should have gotten three points:
“Because we’re capable of winning this game. Our team is capable of winning this game.”
LA GALAXY FORWARD ALAN GORDON
On making an impact in today’s match:
“We just got caught in a situation where we were chasing the game in the second half. I felt from my perspective we were kind of in control. We fell asleep there for a second and they punished us. We give away a penalty and it happens like that and we’re chasing the game. After than happened, we do a good job getting back into the game. We’ve been doing that which is a positive. Tough game on the road and we came away with a point.”
On the difficulty of being on the road for a long time:
“It’s definitely tough. Being away from home for a full week, you’re lying around for most of the time and you don’t get the workouts you need. You get kind of lethargic a little bit. With that being said, everyone put in a good effort and stuck it in for 90 minutes. Like I said, we did well battling back and get a point out of the game.”
On pressing the Fire at the end of the match:
“We were pushing for it. That’s the way it goes sometimes. I think we can learn from our mistakes in this game without not getting any points. We can take away some positives and we are just this close to get the three points. If we keep going, it will turn around for us.”
On his assist:
“Yeah, going back to the old college days [being a winger]. It was good. Gio made a great run and I saw him cutting across the box and wanted to put it into a dangerous spot and he did a fantastic job with it.”
LA GALAXY FORWARD GYASI ZARDES
On his goal:
“I saw the ball get played across and sure enough Jelle headed it backwards and sure enough I was there just to put it away. I tried to hit it with pace on the ground because the pitch was so wet.”
On scoring first:
“Yeah, the main goal was to get the first goal and we did that.”
On the game being even until the first goal:
“Chicago won their last game so they’re amped and ready for this one. They had momentum going forward but I think we made things difficult on ourselves after that goal. I think we let off a little bit.”
On what changed in the second half to help find his game: “We started playing forward. We stopped playing side to side and started going at our opponents. I felt like if we had done that in the first half, we would have been more effective.”
On the Dos Santos goal being offside:
“We tried to create numerous chances and opportunities but just fell short.”
On the tough road trip and looking forward to the next game:
“Yes it was a very difficult road trip with the previous two games. We are preparing for our next opponent and the coaching staff is going to do whatever it takes to get things right.”
On doing what he can to find the back of the net: “One hundred percent. I’m going to keep working hard.”
LA GALAXY FORWARD GIOVANI DOS SANTOS
On using this road trip:
“We know we have to do a lot of work and I think it was a tough road trip, two difficult games and I think we’re going to watch the videos at what we can improve and move on to the next game.”
On building off the performances:
“I know we didn’t get two good results in the last two games but I think everyone is working really hard. We know we have a great team, the chemistry you have to improve every single day. We’re going to work very hard in training during the next week.” On the goal:
“I always look forward to doing my best to help the team, doesn’t matter if I score or give an assist. I know my job sometimes is to create chances but I always try to work hard on the field and try to help the team.”
CHICAGO FIRE HEAD COACH VELJKO PAUNOVIC
On the confidence exhibited against LA:
"I think we did a fantastic game. I'm feeling very sorry for our guys, they're disappointed that we couldn't get more from this game. I think the performance was fantastic. I think we finally feel we are where we wanted to be all this year, we can finally field a team that can beat anyone in this league. I'm feeling proud of our guys, feeling proud of pushing hard until the end. A very important thing is that we played against one of the best teams in the league, and having that performance against them means a lot for the confidence, not only the game that we won in Montreal, which of course was a great boost for us, but most of everything. It's that feeling that we were looking for that we didn't have before during this season, never before. Now, finally, we have it; we can win, we can play, we can enjoy the game. It's not frustration, it's more expectation from every play, from every situation. Every time that we are close to the goal, every time we build out of the back, we have expectations. More than that, we believe it's going to happen. We always believed, we always said that, but now finally, you can see it, you can see it coming, and you can see this team is growing."
On the open nature of the second half:
"We didn't want to open the game, but the point that the game was open, you have to take advantage of it. I think the guys close to me on the sideline, the message was, 'come on, let's get it, push forward, we're not liking this one, let's get another one.’ It's very important sensations we had on the field. In every attack, in every counter-attack, whatever situation for the goal, we were actually very, very close. Again, we feel a little bit disappointed, but I think we need to look very positive to the performance we had today. That's what we were looking for all season."
On the team's response to adversity:
"I think it happened earlier in the year; we came back a couple of times in the Open Cup and I believe it was against New York Red Bulls. The way we came back, and how fast we did that, I think that is something that is very positive for us. Again, against a great team, it even counts more. As we said, during this year, we were working hard to get to this moment where we can actually feel as a real team, a team that can best anyone."
On planning for Giovani dos Santos:
"We always have a plan for anything expected in a game. As for the unexpected, we have the players, preparation, the intelligence and talent to face it. Be it against Giovanni or others like Keane or Gerrard, we are prepared. The plan was our teamwork against any individual work, to help each other in having bigger numbers up front, making connections, covering, and more."
On the game plan:
"Of course, we always want to win, and I think it must be said that the team must adjust as the situation dictates on the field. We must take decisions that we find convenient. I think our plan was, and Brandon can confirm it, to go for and score the third goal in the second half, to stay in their half of the field, and firmly maintain our defense, which we do well at home. That frustrates the opponent, when a team doesn't let you breathe, and it counter-attacks effectively. That is frustrating, and I think that is what we managed to do not only tonight, but in others games. It's a part of the style and identity we have now.
On the fan support:
"I want to thank our fans for the great reception today. I think it was great to see how they supported the team, especially in that moment when Luis Solignac had that great opportunity that he missed. Everyone was disappointed, but the reaction was fantastic, applauding and giving him support. Same thing from the players, I think that's important to see."
CHICAGO FIRE DEFENDER BRANDON VINCENT
On focusing on defending against talented individual players:
"Every team has talented players, but I think the way we prepare as a group, when we care about us and our gameplan, we focus on that. We face whoever we face, that's just the way the league is. It's a matter of going out and fighting whoever we are playing against."
On fans being part of the team:
"It's huge, it's everything. Our confidence on the field comes from the fans, comes from the group, comes from everybody. It's a team effort, the fans are included, they're part of this club, they're part of this team's success, when we have it. We do everything we can to make them proud. We just try to keep fighting, and their support is everything for us."
CHICAGO FIRE MIDFIELDER ARTURO ALVAREZ
On creating more chances in recent games:
“I think it’s confidence. I think everyone is going out there and enjoying the game and believe it or not, I know everyone has talked about not winning away and we were able to do it in Montreal and it was a great performance from everyone overall, so that game alone gave everyone that boost that we needed and I think it showed in this game as well. Unfortunately it didn’t go the way we wanted it to but that’s LA for you, they find a way to get back into games and they did this time.”
On the offense picking up after the Galaxy scored:
“I thought maybe the fact that we knew that we could beat them, so we said we can’t go down a goal and put our heads down, we know we can play against anyone. We know that we can score goals, we did it against Montreal and in other games, so that’s what we did. We created a lot of chances, went up 2-1 and unfortunately that third goal didn’t want to go in at the right time and then LA got that bounce.”
On searching for the third goal and not sitting back with the 2-1 lead:
“That should be the mentality. I think once we’re up in the result, we have to make sure we kill the game off. There’s been too many times when it’s 1-0, 2-1 and we’re kind of holding there, and the next thing you know they’re tying it at the end of the game, so we’ve got to keep pushing for that third goal to make sure we kill games off.”
