LA Galaxy Postgame Quote Sheet
LA Galaxy 3, New York Red Bulls 1
Sunday, May 14, 2017
2017 MLS Regular Season
Red Bull Arena – Harrison, N.J.
LA GALAXY HEAD COACH CURT ONALFO
On the team’s performance:
“I mean, certainly the best start we've had all year. I thought our mentality was good. It's tough traveling across the country with everything you deal with, and to be able to put -- have that kind of energy to start and just capitalize on the chances. We knew we had good chances and it was about finishing them, and that just positioned -- very pleased with the performance and obviously a good result.”
On how the team got off to such a hot start:
“I mean, I think it was a lot to do with last week, honestly. And just talking about how I felt like we (inaudible) a team last week, and it was a point of emphasis to be really intelligent, the way they press -- to Red Bull, and credit to our guys for doing a great job.”
On the team switching field often:
“Yeah, we felt like that would be a way to get at them. We felt like we would get chances. But it's just a matter of finishing those chances.”
On the team’s defensive performance:
“Warrior mentality, really important for our psyche, for our confidence. We're building. And we're just going to keep working every day.”
On how much this result helps:
“It's three much-needed points, and you just have to know that each game is different. Each week is different. We'll have to travel across the country again next week. So we've just got to make sure that we continue to improve and make sure we do a good job.”
On Romain Alessandrini:
“He was outstanding all week in training, and then very good yesterday in training and it translated right to the beginning of the game. He was lights out to start. There's nobody like him, quite frankly, and we knew that. He's done everything we knew he could do.”
On Alessandrini’s away performances:
“I mean, certainly the way he goes about his game, whether it's home or away, he's a winner. He's got a great work ethic and he knows that his coach and club believes in him, and it's a good feeling when you feel that way as a player.”
LA GALAXY MIDFIELDER ROMAIN ALESSANDRINI
On the importance of today’s win:
“It was a good win for us tonight—both to score and to win. We worked hard this week and we kept this mentality. Now we have three more games away, and we need to make sure to keep this mentality and keep going.”
On his strong play on the road:
“I try every time to give my best. Tonight was key, I scored twice and I helped my team to win. It’s difficult to cross the country, but I try to get used to everything because everything has changed. The country, the league, the soccer, everything is different. So every time out, I try to give everything and tonight I was the key.”
On his room for improvement:
“I was a little bit surprised because it’s a big change and I’m very happy because I now have 6 goals and 3 assists, but for my team, we need to keep this mentality. Everybody was on the same page…and everyone in the attack can score.”
On the camaraderie of the team following the win:
“I think it’s about the mentality. We are the same players, it’s the same team, but everything has changed this past week, and we need to make sure to keep that going…we have to make sure to keep the same way, grow up, and come back on top.”
LA GALAXY DEFENDER JELLE VAN DAMME
On the importance of today’s good start:
“I think we started very strong and very well. I think we went after them and when playing a game on the road, it’s all about mentality. I think we showed that today.”
On today’s defensive performance:
“We did well. We talked a lot and the communication was good. But you know what, defense is eleven players. That’s all I want to say about it. Today was all about the team so I’m very proud. The guys came in and did their jobs.”
On the importance of a solid personal performance:
“That’s what people expect from me every single game. So, I think I’m pretty satisfied by my personal performance. That’s the way it should be every week.”
On how to adjust to playing without Diallo:
“Bradley is a good player. He’s a guy with a lot of mentality and character, a typical French defender. He’s doing well at right back, for a center back. He had a good performance. It’s just a shame for his red card. Honestly, I saw it coming from miles away. But, he’s a great player and it’s a shame we’re going to miss him for a game. It’s up to the other players to step it up.”
LA GALAXY FORWARD GIOVANI DOS SANTOS
Thoughts on the game:
“It’s a massive win for us. Especially in a tough place against a good team.”
On whether starting fast is something they want to continue to do:
“Yeah, I think we fell off in the second half of the Chicago [Fire] game and we told ourselves after that game that we need to keep going and after we got the two goals we started to control the game.”
Whether the goal will give him confidence going forward:
“Yeah, well I feel because of the team doing well we have to keep going physically. I feel great, I’ve been working. Even at the start of the season when the goals or assists didn’t come, I kept saying it will come because I know that the work that I’m doing. I am confident because I know that we have a good team. We showed it today and this is the way we got to keep going.”
Is there a different feeling in the team:
“Yeah, I think the chemistry between the players is great. You can see on the pitch today. I think everyone knew what they had to do on the pitch, their role on the pitch and we got to keep going.”
NEW YORK RED BULLS HEAD COACH JESSE MARSCH
On how his team started the game:
“Yeah, I mean, listen, L.A. buries their first two chances. I guess one is a free kick that comes from the first chance. But I -- you know, I have to take responsibility for this, because to have a team that's not ready to play from the start, and to play a first half like that where we show no life and no commitment and no belief, you know, I have to look carefully at what I'm doing. And, you know, there's not enough guys that are playing up to their potential and their capabilities, and so again, that has to fall on my shoulders. So I've got to figure out a way to get this group playing better; playing more to what I know it can; to making things clear for guys, and to challenge everyone to do more. So, you know, it's the worst performance since I've been here at Red Bull at home, for sure. On that side of things, I'm very disappointed and I'm going to look directly at myself and figure out how this can get better.”
On gathering his team at midfield:
“You know, I challenged them. I challenged them to stick together and to be more like us. You know, at half time, I told them that I didn't recognize what that was. You know, I didn't recognize -- we didn't look like us. That's plain and simple. Again, that falls on my shoulders because it's my job to prepare everyone and to make sure that whenever we play, win, lose or draw, that we are us. That falls on me, and I've got to figure out -- I've got to figure out selections. I've got to figure out who our guys we can count on, and I've got to challenge everyone to now have more self-belief and commitment and understand what it's going to take for us to be the team we want to be.”
On the halftime sub of Mike Grella for Alex Muyl
“No, that was to try and inject some life in us. I mean, listen, by no means was Alex like a problem in the first half. It was just trying to figure out a way of when we are down 2-0, how to put a couple more attacking pieces on it and get Mike going. We made the decision before the game that Mike, his maximum was 45 minutes. I didn't think we were going to have to go to that, but we did. We have to find ways of getting Mike back to the player we know he can be. But that was not premeditated.”
On what he did and did not see from his team:
“Well, the main thing, listen this game, the way we played in the first half had nothing to do with tactics. It had nothing to do with game plan. It had -- you know, listen, L.A. has a good start, but we have an absolutely dreadful start, and the confidence and life in our team was just sucked out of us. And so instead of having a response like, no problem, down 2-0, we've got this, right; it's early; there's plenty to play for; we're at home, we're going to go after this bit by bit, play-by-play. You just saw shakiness and nervousness and fear. So again, that falls on my shoulders and my leadership. I've got to find a way to make sure that this group understands exactly who we are and who we need to be at all times; at all times. You know, you give the Galaxy credit because they had a shaky performance in the first half [last week] and they responded in that game and they come here and responded in a big way. So they learned a lot about themselves. Time for us to learn about ourselves. Time for us to learn what we're made of.”
NEW YORK RED BULLS GOALKEEPER LUIS ROBLES
On the first half:
“They showed us how to play soccer. They showed us what an inspired team looks like. They needed the result just as bad as we did. At the end of the day, I almost feel a little embarrassed just by my own performance, by our team’s performance, our entire disposition towards that first half. I apologize to anyone who had to pay to watch that. I apologize for to our season ticket holders, that’s just not the type of performance that we should ever put on display when we’re at Red Bull Arena.”
On what caused the team’s underperformance:
“I’m not entirely sure. I think it’ll be discussed at length tomorrow and the next couple of days. At the end of the day, we’re over a third of the way into the season now. Maybe the first few losses we said, ‘ok let’s not focus on the results too much, it’s about the performance.’ But, because of where we’re at in the season now, both matter.”
On the first goal:
“I haven’t seen it. Alessandrini played a dangerous ball and Van Damme makes a good run. When he was cutting across I saw him coming across and thought he was one-hundred percent going to touch this. He just dummied it. At that point, it caused me to freeze for even just a half a second but he’s probably four yards away from me, definitely inside the six. So, It’s one of those things where if he touches it then I have to react. But, I also have to be mindful that if it goes by, I have to make the save. Even for that half second where I froze and it was enough to get by me.”
NEW YORK RED BULLS MIDFIELDER SACHA KLJESTAN
On the importance of today’s match:
“It’s a bit bizarre to me, I can’t really figure it out. We talked all week about being us, and doing what makes us so good, especially when we’re at home, and in the first ten minutes, we come out and play like an amateur team. It’s hard to explain. I think some guys are lacking confidence right now and aren’t confident on the ball.”
On how to motivate the team this week:
“It’s going to take some looking in the mirror at myself to do what I can do to rally the guys. We have to bounce back, we have a big game Friday against probably the best team in the league right now so it’s going to be very difficult. No matter how good we play on Friday, it’s going to be a long 90 minutes and a very tough game, but the good news is we’re back at home, and we always seem to bounce back when we’re at home.”
On speaking to the team during the match:
“At halftime I said, ‘we can’t waste a second in this second half, we have to use every ounce of us to try and get us back in this game, win every battle physically, try to create chances. Unfortunately we couldn’t do it, Jesse was hard on us at halftime, and I told the guys it could have been ten times harder because it was a bit embarrassing the way played today.”
