LA Galaxy Postgame Quote Sheet
LA Galaxy 2, Houston Dynamo 2
Saturday, June 17, 2017
2017 MLS Regular Season
StubHub Center – Los Angeles, Calif.
LA GALAXY HEAD COACH CURT ONALFO
On the match:
“There’s no two ways about it, we had a depleted team tonight. We weren’t even able to field 18 players, we fielded 17. So we were definitely depleted, we certainly had some youth on the field. We had Hugo Arellano, 19-years-old getting his debut. You could see that we were pretty sloppy at the start, you could see that we were a little bit out of rhythm with all of the changes that we had to make and then we gave up an untimely goal. But you saw how we react when we get scored on, we find ways to get back into the game. So I felt pretty good at halftime, I felt like we were starting to settle and I felt like we were going to win the game 2-1. That’s how I felt all along and it was really unfortunate to give that second goal away. We get caught on the counter, we lose the ball and credit to them for a good finish. But early in the year, we had similar cases here at home where we had the chances at the end and we didn’t convert. I’ve said that since the Chicago game…we become a team and we find ways to make things happen so I’m pleased that we got the point. I wanted three, but under the circumstances we’ll take one and get ourselves ready for Wednesday.”
On Ashley Cole:
“Ashley has been thriving over the last five or six games. He does not look like a 36-year-old. He looks like a player in his late twenties. We try to be really intelligent with how we train him. We taper things. He’s a hard worker and he wants to be out there every single day so I think it was hard in the beginning, but we’ve adopted to training him intelligently and he’s thriving and I think he’s playing some of the best soccer that he has since coming to MLS.”
On the Galaxy holding onto their unbeaten streak with as many injuries as they have:
“Like I said, if you remember the Dallas game, we hit the post at the end and didn’t convert it. We would have started the season with a draw, even though we’re the Galaxy and we want to win every game. Each week is different based on the circumstances you’re dealt with. It’s a good group. We have a bunch of young guys that care about each other and work with each other. That’s a hallmark of a winning team. We just have to continue to grow knowing in games like this that we developed a lot of depth for our team. We got guys some valuable minutes that haven’t gotten minutes, and in the end it makes us better.”
On Hugo Arellano:
“I’ve debuted a lot of players in this league, a lot of young players over the years. I’ve seen players that look like deer in the headlights and it’s overwhelming for them and you need to give them a couple games before they can actually do it. He was not nervous about it. I’m sure he had nerves, but he didn’t show any nerves and he just stepped in and did a real solid job.”
On Clement Diop:
“He had some very good moments in the game. He’s a very athletic keeper and he’s still growing and gaining experience. I thought he made some good saves tonight.”
On the week ahead:
“Obviously we get [Jelle] Van Damme back and that’s a good thing. Wednesday’s probably going to be tight for some of the guys that you mentioned, but we’ll see. Hopefully for Kansas City we have some more players to choose from and at that point we’re going to be a really tired team.”
LA GALAXY MIDFIELDER ROMAIN ALESSANDRINI
On coming back in the match twice:
“It’s like a win. We have to win now at home because it’s the most important with the fans. We’ve done good on the road, but we have to take points at home. Everybody gave everything on the field and that was very good for us.”
On getting results:
“We’ve been playing very good the last four or five games. Tonight was very difficult because we had a lot of changes in the team, but the guys played good and we came back at the end of the game. When you come back like that, it’s like a win. Everyone is confident from tonight’s game, but next week we play at home and we need to win at home.”
On leading the offense with Giovani dos Santos absent:
“I played at this position [of attacking midfielder] and I have to give a little bit more. Gio is one of the best players in MLS and we need him, but tonight, Emmanuel Boateng and Gyasi [Zardes] played very well. Tonight I was a little bit tired – I felt a little pain from the last week. But I got an assist and scored one for the team, so everyone is happy tonight and we have to a good recovery and be focused for the next game.
LA GALAXY MIDFIELDER EMMANUEL BOATENG
On scoring in the match:
“It was good. It was a game that we needed to score since we went down 1-0 at home. We just needed to insert some energy in the game and I saw a chance to make a play so I went up and Romain gave me a great ball, we headed down and scored to even up the game.”
On how key Romain was to the goal:
“He was very key. When he had the ball he had his back turned to me and I didn’t think he saw me. I just kept yelling and was hoping that he hit it on time and he put it right where I needed it.”
On what the comeback draw says about the team:
“It tells you a lot about this team. Early on, in our first two games, we didn’t play nearly as well as we wanted to play and since then I’ve felt like every game we have a chance if we go down or we have a chance to win if we get in tough situations.”
On if he had to take more of a leadership role:
“That’s part of it. We have a lot of injuries and a lot of young players playing, so I’m just trying to do my best. It’s the same way last year when I played with the older guys and they tried to help me and the other guys out.”
On playing against A.J. DeLaGarza:
“He’s a great player, great friend too. Once of the great teammates we had on the team last year. It was pretty fun.”
LA GALAXY DEFENDER HUGO ARELLANO
On how it felt to get his MLS debut:
“Nerve-wracking at first, but once the whistle blew, this is something that I was born to do. It felt incredible in front of all the fans today. It was good that we got a positive result as well, it’s a good debut for me.”
On his performance:
“There’s always stuff to improve on. I’ll watch the film and we’ll work on that. I felt confident on the ball. The team moved the ball well at times and our midfielders were open and they made it really easy for me. I owe them a lot of credit and the team fought hard and got a point.”
On the getting playing time in the week ahead:
“I think that’s the coach’s decision. I felt like I performed well. He had confidence to put me in and start. I know the coach trusts in me and if my name is called I’ll always be ready.”
On the nose injury he sustained:
“They said a hairline fracture on the top. They said it wasn’t as bad. I’ve broke it twice already so I’ve dealt with this. But the doctor said there’s a high chance of me not having to wear a mask.”
HOUSTON DYNAMO HEAD COACH WILMER CABRERA
On the result:
“We are upset. The players are upset. We are upset, because we lost two points today. But, it’s on us. We cannot give the responsibility to the linesman to allow that, or to the referees, or the fourth referee to put six minutes into a game that cannot go six minutes in overtime. But, we have to be able to play 96, 97, 110. So, yes, It’s on us. We have to continue, and if there’s someone to blame, it’s ourselves. We need to know that it’s going to be more difficult for us wherever we go. We cannot make one mistake, and we made two mistakes, and we got punished for the last one.”
On what the team needed to finish the match with a victory:
“We needed to control the last five minutes. We cannot lose the ball coming out of a play and give them the opportunity to win a goal that’s offside. Yes, it’s offside. But, it’s already marked in the books, and there’s nothing that can be done now."
The team’s reaction to the draw:
“We are playing better; we are getting better. That’s important. But, today we had a huge chance and we let it go.”
On dominating an away game:
“Yes definitely, for us it’s improving overall. It’s coming over here to a difficult stadium, against a difficult team, just to be able to perform well, to outplay them in some aspects, and to pressure, and to get two goals, that is important. But, for us, we need to be more solid defensively, and we need to finish the games.”
HOUSTON DYNAMO DEFENDER A.J. DELAGARZA
On playing at the StubHub Center:
“It’s a little bit weird, but I’ve been here eight years. I felt comfortable.”
On being part of the LA Galaxy:
“Yeah, not a part of this team, but I’ll always be a part of Galaxy and the history, and you know the fans are always a part of my life.”
On what needs to be done to finish out a game:
“We’ve given up too many chances on the road. Teams are taking advantage. And on the flipside, we had other chances to score goals. They had three chances, and the scored two. So, we have to crack down on that on the road. We played one of our better games tonight, I think. Obviously we’re still a hampered team, but we can take that and progress.”
On LA Galaxy’s second goal:
“I thought it was off-sides, because he was on my shoulder, not that I was on the line anyways, but he was pretty far in front of me. On the flipside of it, I don’t know why the referees would talk if he was just going to rule it a goal. It didn’t make sense.”
On visiting his former LA Galaxy teammates in the locker rooms:
“No, I stayed here. I just said hello out on the field. That was it.”
HOUSTON DYNAMO DEFENDER ADOLFO MACHADO
On upcoming match against FC Dallas
“We will have to prepare well. We are going back to Houston to prepare the whole week for that game against Dallas.”
On his performance with the Panama national team compared to his performance with Houston Dynamo
“That’s something we’ll talk about between ourselves. I think that Panama national team doesn’t have a significance in this. We can’t mention the Panama national team here.”
HOUSTON DYNAMO FORWARD ERICK TORRES
Pensamientos sobre el partido:
“Nos vamos tristes porque nos empatan al último minuto, pero yo creo que se hizo un buen partido. Creo que el equipo se planteó muy bien. Mejoramos mucho en el planteamiento, en la posesión de balón, en el ataque. Al final no logramos sacar los tres puntos, pero bueno. Nos vamos, dentro de todo, tranquilo”.
On the game:
“We are sad because they tied us in the last minute, but I think that we played a good game. I think the team played well. We were a lot better tactically, on the ball, on the attack. In the end we weren’t able to leave here with three points. We leave at ease, despite everything.”
Sobre la última jugada y la charla con los árbitros:
“Obviamente son jugadas muy rápidas. Se generó la duda sobre si era o no fuera de lugar. Tratar de comentarles si había sido. Tienen que analizarla, tienen que verla fríamente y bueno, ya después se verá si fue una acertada decisión si se equivocaron”.
On the last play and his chat with the referees:
“Obviously it’s a very fast play. There was doubt on whether it was or wasn’t an offside call. We tried to speak to them on whether it was. They have to analyze it, watch it again and we’ll know if it was the right call or if they messed up on it.”
Sobre el punto conseguido fuera de casa:
“Nos sabe un poquito amargo porque teníamos los tres puntos, casi. Al final sacamos un punto, pero bueno, es importante porque no se pierde. Un punto de visita al final seguimos sumando. Nos ayuda bastante. Ahora viene un partido de local, viene un partido en casa, donde es el clásico de Texas, donde tenemos que jugar con la misma intensidad. Tenemos que seguir jugando con la misma energía que lo hemos hecho en casa. Esperemos que sea un partido bonito para nuestra afición y sobre todo porque es en casa”.
On earning a point on the road:
“It’s a little bittersweet because we had the three points. In the end we go home with a point, but it’s important because we didn’t lose. A point on the road and in the end we continue to add points. It helps a lot. We have a Texas clasico game next up, where we have to play with the same intensity. We have to continue playing with the same energy that we’ve playing with at home. We hope that it will be a good game for our home fans.”
Sobre estar en el tercer puesto en la tabla con 23 puntos:
“Creo que vamos bien. Dentro de lo que cabe el equipo ha trabajado bien. Hemos sacado los puntos necesarios en casa para mantenernos en los primeros lugares de nuestra conferencia. Nos hace falta sacar un resultado de tres puntos de visita. No se nos ha dado, hay que seguir trabajando, creo que vamos por buen camino. Hemos hecho las cosas bien, hemos tenido muy buen arranque. Ahora hay que descansar y preparar la semana para enfrentar de muy buena manera a Dallas.”
On being third on the table with 24 points:
“I think we’re on the right path. Despite everything the team is working hard. We’ve secure the necessary points at home to be in the top spots in our conference. We need to get three points on the road. We haven’t been able to achieve that, so we have to work for it. I think we’re on the right path to do so. We’ve done things right; we’ve had a good start. Now we have to rest and get ready to face Dallas this week.”
