Postgame Quote Sheet
LA Galaxy 3, FC Dallas 2
Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015
MLS Regular Season
StubHub Center – Carson, California
LA GALAXY HEAD COACH BRUCE ARENA
On the game:
“It was good start, we played well. I think in the first half, going in with a one goal advantage probably wasn’t right. We conceded that goal and put them back on the game. Give their player credit, number 21, for not quitting on that play but we could have done better. Second half I thought they started the half pretty strong. Getting the third goal was important and the fourth goal was there for us, and we didn’t take it. It still kept them a little bit alive. And obviously the last five minutes or so was hectic. Good start to the game, two good teams. I think it was an exciting game, a game where both teams created chances and I think it’s a fair result.”
On Steven Gerrard’s goal and his performance:
“It was a good goal. He and Juninho played another good game together. I thought it was good and I think the goal is good to Stevie’s confidence. Overall, they played well.”
On the added importance of this game given FC Dallas has two games in hand:
“Who knows, with everything in this league right now. There’s one team with 50 points and that’s us. We got 50 in the bank; somebody else has to get that. That’s the most important thing. We will get our team ready for a tough game next week.”
On FC Dallas’ play:
“The number 11 and the 21 were dangerous all night. At times, we did a good job but those are two good players. They are difficult to neutralize. At times, we did a pretty good job; other times they had the advantage. It was a good matchup, a good game.”
On what the team did different, coming off a goal drought:
“We scored. There’s been nothing wrong with us. I know you guys all look at the score line and lead off that. Our team has been scoring goals.”
LA GALAXY FORWARD ROBBIE KEANE
On possibly having three goals:
“I hit the cross bar and then the ‘keeper pulled off a save from close range. I keep saying it, and I continue to keep saying it, it’s not about individuals. It’s about the team. We got a good result. Of course, it’s never good to concede in the last 15 minutes because they’ll continue to get the ball and lump it into the box, but that was the situation. We managed to get the three points which is the most important thing.”
On the team’s start:
We started off sharp. We had good movements from myself and Gio. It was a good start, and it was nice to get the early goal. Then we got the second, and we certainly looked comfortable but we gave away a goal to get them back in the game which is never good. It’s never good when you’re comfortable in a game, and give them a chance.
On having 50 points:
Of course, it’s big. I keep saying that it’s about the whole season not about a couple of games here or there. We’re the first team to reach 50 points which isn’t too bad. Now we look forward to next week.
On the games in hand that Dallas and other clubs have on LA:
“I’ll take the points on the board all day long than the games in hand. You have to win the games in hand.”
On if the two early goals were a motivator after the goalless streak:
“Nothing. I said that no one on the team was thinking about when we were going to score. Maybe the media more than we were. I can guarantee that the players weren’t thinking about that. We know that we have players on the team that can score goals. Correct me if I’m wrong, but we have scored the highest goals in the league right now?”
On Gerrard’s performance:
“It was an energetic performance. He just makes simple passes that people wouldn’t appreciate unless you’re playing with him. To give the simple ball to a striker and take out two or three players, it’s the best ball for a striker and the team. It eliminates a lot of their players. He did that a lot tonight. His energy at getting players around him is composed and getting compact toward the end. It was great tonight.”
On Fabian Castillo:
“I thought that he was brilliant tonight. I rate him very highly. Sometimes people have pace but they can’t use their brain. He has the skill. He didn’t score but overall, his performance was very, very good.”
LA GALAXY FORWARD GIOVANI DOS SANTOS
On the team’s performance:
“I think the performance in the first half was very good. We created a lot of chances, we scored two goals and defensively we were very strong. We are happy because we got three points against a very difficult team.”
On scoring tonight:
“It feels good. It gave us a lot of confidence in the first half but we knew that we have very good players. We were very good today, Stevie also scored, and always as a striker you want to score. I think we are not worried about creating chances to score goals because we have very good players.”
On taking first place in the Western Conference and Supporters’ Shield standings:
“The thing is to get better every single day because we know the important thing is to get in the Playoffs and win the championship. We are working hard, we are getting better every single game and we’re in good way.”
On his celebration:
“It was a celebration Robbie [Keane] told me before the game to do it for his son and we did it.”
[Translated from Spanish]
On the Galaxy finishing the season:
"I think that the short term is thinking game by game and hopefully we can win a title this season. Like I’ve said, I want to be an important part of this club’s history.”
On the team continuing in good form:
“The truth is that it’s important that we envision winning day after day, getting as many points as possible. Hopefully we can continue like this until the end of the season.”
On his positioning next to Robbie Keane:
"We have really versatile players on this team and I feel really good playing behind Robbie [Keane] or to his right. It also depends on the situation, the game and where I can find space. I’ve never had trouble adapting to those two positions.”
Acerca de su adaptación a la MLS:
“Yo creo que al corto plazo es pensar partido a partido y ojalá pueda conseguir el título esta temporada y bueno como lo he comentado, quiero ser parte importante de la historia de este club.”
Acerca de tomar el superliderato con 50 puntos:
“La verdad que es importante que nos mentalicemos en ganar día tras día, de conseguir los máximos puntos posibles. Esperemos poder seguir así hasta el final de esta temporada.”
Acerca de su posición dentro del campo:
“La verdad que tenemos jugadores muy polivalentes en este equipo y me siento muy bien tanto atrás de Robbie [Keane] como por la derecha, pero bueno. También depende de las situaciones, depende del partido, en donde pueda yo encontrar más espacios. Nunca he tenido problema adaptarme a esas dos posiciones.”
LA GALAXY MIDFIELDER STEVEN GERRARD
On getting the goal:
“I haven’t had a problem with my confidence. I think the goal was good for the team. I said last week, we’re at the business end of the season and it’s all about three points and not about individuals, tallies and who gets what, but it’s about the team getting three points. It’s a big result for us tonight.”
On his performance:
“I didn’t feel good first-half at all. For some reason it took me until the second half to feel really good. But Dallas are a really good team. Give our team a lot of credit because we beat a good team tonight. I think they deserve a lot of credit as well for making a game of it.”
On the team’s energy:
“I think the first 15 minutes, we looked really sharp and really dangerous and we got ourselves two goals in front, but we let them get back in the game just before halftime. But now as the game is finished, as I said, it’s all about maximum points. Performances come second at this stage of the season. It’s all about doing everything we can to get the [Supporters’ Shield].”
On chances created:
“We created a lot of good chances and unfortunately only got three [goals]. We hit the crossbar a few times tonight. But we got over the line and that pushes us to 50 points and we’re the only team in the League with 50 points, which is nice to see.”
On winning the Supporters’ Shield:
“We want to win everything. It’s the type of club that has high expectations and we’ve got the responsibility to deliver as many prizes as possible. You see our support tonight, it was fantastic once again, and it would be nice to reward [the fans] with a trophy, if not two, at the end of the season.”
FC DALLAS HEAD COACH OSCAR PAREJA
On tonight's game:
“I think we gave up the first 17-20 minutes. We tried to be aggressive but we looked very fragile in the back and against these kind of players they punish you and then the reaction was very good. I thought the team reacted very well and could have equalized it and if it wasn't for the distraction on the set play I thought we could have gotten a point. The second half was good so in the attacking mind it was a good game for both. I think today both teams gave everything going forward and it was an open game.”
On the team's performance:
“This team normally bounces back when the tough moments come. I have nothing to say about the character of our team the boys fought hard and I have to give them great credit, we could have equalized the game.”
FC DALLAS FORWARD BLAS PEREZ
[Translated from Spanish]
On tonight's game:
“The game got a little complicated in the first 15 minutes we practically gave it to them and it cost us two goals and at the end we didn't have enough time to tie the game. We knew it was going to be a difficult game. We never want to lose we always want to get points. We had a good chance to get into first place but it didn't turn out that way. We have to focus now on the next game which is at home against Houston for the Texas Derby and we have to make them respect our home field.”
On the first 15 minutes of the game:
“We were caught sleeping. We weren't aggressive and we weren't trying to push them back and pressure them and disrespect them in their home. There wasn't any hunger and with a team like LA you can't give them that advantage. They scored two goals in 15 minutes and for any team that would bring them down but we reacted but we just couldn't get the tie.”
FC DALLAS FORWARD TESHO AKINDELE
On tonight's game:
“I thought it was a good game. I thought both teams played well and created a lot of chances and just didn't go our way this time.”
On the team's performance:
“I think they are taking advantage of their chances and have to be more clinical, myself included, they are getting their chances and they are putting them away and we need to take note of that.”
On the team fighting back:
“I think it was huge because they scored two goals pretty early and a lot of teams would have just given up and maybe lost by five in that situation but everybody buckled down and we took hold of the game at that point. Too bad we didn't start the game a little bit better but it was a good response from us.”
